Stellar
by Hall.1630
Summary: The cynical, introverted Katniss Everdeen is paired up with a charismatic, outgoing Peeta Mellark for a class project. Modern day AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. All of the characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

"Katniss, it's time to get up!"

Prim. I hear her, but I choose to ignore her for a couple more seconds. My bed wants me to stay.

"Katniss, we're going to be late!"

Ugh. I throw off my covers. I feel the cool September air coming in from my window and shiver. I walk to the bathroom that connects my room and Prim's. I can see that Prim has been here already, and that she probably put on too much makeup. Judging by the state of the sink, she couldn't decide on what color of eyeshadow she wanted to wear. I've told her multiple times that she is beautiful without it, but every time I do she rolls her eyes and scoffs. I've never used makeup. It seems so impractical.

I quickly braid my hair and brush my teeth. I walk back into my room and try to decide what to wear. It's the first day of my junior year. They say you should dress to impress. I say that's bullshit.

I throw off my pajamas and put on the pair of jeans I wore yesterday. I find a green shirt in my dresser. This will do.

As I walk down the steps, I hear Prim arguing with my mother. "Mom, this is how all of the girls look!"

"Please, take off some of the eyeshadow. You're only 12. It's just too much."

Prim doesn't put up much of a fight. As Prim exits the kitchen and passes me in the hallway, I see my mother was right. Prim reaches the stairs as I turn into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Katniss," she says.

"Morning."

I grab an apple from a bowl on the counter and retrieve my backpack from the kitchen table.

"Are you excited for your first day back?" she asks. She wears a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Ecstatic," I say sarcastically, walking back to the hallway. Prim is making her way down the steps as I walk toward the door. I slip on my father's leather jacket, and try to breath in the scent. It's not as strong as it used to be. My mother bids us goodbye as Prim and I walk out the door. I ignore her.

"Katniss, do I look okay?" Prim asks as we walk down the sidewalk.

I look at her, and I must admit that it was an improvement. I nod and say, "Yes. Much better."

She smiles. "Were you nervous on your first day of middle school?"

"Of course, but it will be okay. Trust me." I decide not to tell her about the hell that awaits her. Middle school was probably the worst time of my life. There is so much pressure to fit in and be like everyone else. Everyone is so critical. Evil. Not to mention, my father died when I was in middle school. They definitely aren't my fondest memories.

She sighs and nods. I stop her so that I can pull her into my arms. We embrace for a few moments. "You look beautiful."

"I wish I looked more like you."

I smile, "Well, I wish I looked more like you, little duck." I let her go, and we continue to the bus stop holding hands.

* * *

High school. The best years of your life. I try to make my way to my locker while everyone chats with their friends in the middle of the hallway. I push through, occasionally excusing myself for walking through a group. It smells like body odor and cheap cologne. When I finally get to my locker and open it, someone reaches around me and slams the locker shut.

I whip around with a scowl and find my best friend, Gale Hawthorne. "Damn you, Gale!"

"Sorry, Catnip. I couldn't help myself. You looked like you were in such a _bright_ mood this morning, I thought you would enjoy my little joke."

He's right. I guess I could try and look slightly personable. I probably wasn't smiling when I walked down the hallway. I definitely didn't bother to acknowledge anyone. I reopen my locker and hang up my father's jacket. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and look back at Gale.

"I can't wait to get out of here," he says. Gale is a senior this year. Lucky him. "One thing I will definitely miss is staring at Madge Undersee's ass in that pair of jeans." He points her out across the hall. She is standing in front of her locker with her back to us. A group of her friends crowd around her, laughing hysterically. I wonder who the victim of their torture is today.

"Wow, Gale. Your taste is impeccable. She is definitely the most beautiful, the most elegant, the most unpleasant person you could find."

"Hey, she's not that bad. There are worse people here." I have to agree with that. I nudge him in the ribs and tell him that I will see him later.

* * *

My first class of the day is Anatomy & Physiology. This is probably my favorite class. The human body is the most fascinating and disgusting thing all at once. I guess this is a good enough reason to make it to school on time.

I make my way to the back row and choose a table. I prefer not to sit with anyone. It makes it easier to focus. As the beginning of first period draws near, I notice that the class is filling up quickly. It will be a miracle if I get to sit by myself.

I get out my notebook and reach in my bag to find a pencil. I sense movement beside me. Damn it. I guess I will have to deal. I grab the pencil in the bottom of my bag, and look up to see who I have the "pleasure" of sitting next to.

He turns to me and smiles. Peeta Mellark.

"Hi, Katniss," he says, still giving me a toothy smile. His blonde hair is perfectly trim. He is wearing jeans and a blue, button down shirt that brings out the color of his eyes. He smells like cinnamon.

I stare at him, perhaps for too long, but his warm, genuine smile never falters. It makes me angry, but I also find it comforting. I remember that, typically, humans respond when they are spoken to.

"Hi," I say. He doesn't further engage me in conversation and I am appreciative. He looks to the front of the classroom, still smiling, just as Mr. Abernathy walks to the front. The bell rings.

"Hello, class. Welcome to the first day of what I'm sure is going to be another _fantastic_ year. I hope you all had a great summer. Just so you know, I, like you, wish I wasn't here, so we are going to keep it simple today. This semester, you and a partner will be responsible for presenting a project."

Oh, great. Here we go.

"This project can be about any physical disease you can think of: Diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, MS, anything you want. You are responsible for presenting this disease to the class and typing up a report. Now, everybody look to the person sitting next to you."

I glance at Peeta, he glances back.

"This is your partner, and you are not allowed to switch. Give me a sheet with your name and your partner's name with your topic by the end of class. Have at it, kids." Mr. Abernathy makes his way around his desk. I notice that he opens his bottom drawer and takes a swig out of a flask. I turn back to Peeta. He has his hand held out to me.

"Nice to meet you, partner," he says, smirking at me.

I try my best to look pleasant and keep from frowning. I take his hand and shake it quickly. He seems pleased.

"So what would you like to do? Do you have an interest in anything in particular?" he asks.

I sit and try to come up with something. I hate group projects more than anything. I would much rather do it myself. In the past, I've had to suffer through some of the worst partners. I'm always stuck with all of the work.

"Look, I'm not so good at this partner thing. Maybe we should ask Mr. Abernathy if we can do one individually." I see his smile beginning to fade.

"Katniss, I don't know what kind of partners you have had in the past, but trust me. I'm not going to leave you with the work. Give me a chance."

Mr. Abernathy clears his throat from the front of the class. I look up and see a couple of girls glaring at each other next to Mr. Abernathy's desk. "No, you may not work alone either. Deal with it. It's part of growing up," Mr. Abernathy tells the class.

"Well, it looks like you're stuck with me," Peeta chuckles.

I guess so. Even though I am still skeptical, I have a feeling that this can work out somehow. I don't know Peeta that well, but I do know that he cares about his grades. He has to if he wants to participate in his extracurriculars (nearly all that the school offers).

"Alright, so what do you want to do, Katniss?"

I look down at the floor. I hope he doesn't think my idea is stupid.

"How about psoriasis?"

He looks surprised. "Huh. I thought you might have chosen something really off the wall and strange." Why would he think that? Is that how I come across to people?

"Not a lot of people know about it, really. There's a lot to write about and a lot of nasty pictures to present."

"Nasty pictures?! You sold me," Peeta says. I can't help but smile.

After some thought, I decide that there are much worse partners that I could have. Peeta is charismatic. I know that he is great at talking to people, which is not my strongest quality. That alone may come in handy for this particular project.

I watch as Peeta takes my notebook and jots our names down on the first empty page. His handwriting is incredible. He must have taken a course in calligraphy. He writes "Psoriasis" under our names and walks the paper to the front of the class. He hands it to Mr. Abernathy, and Mr. Abernathy nods indicating that it is an acceptable topic.

Peeta walks back, still wearing that smile. I almost smile back.

"We should work out a time to meet. Would you like to meet at the bakery this afternoon?" he asks.

"Your bakery?"

"Yes," he laughs, "That way we can make a plan and decide who does what."

"I have to make sure my sister gets home first, but I can come by after that."

"Great," he says as the bell rings, "I look forward to it."

He gets up from his chair. I smell cinnamon again. "I'll see you later, Katniss."

I wave goodbye. As I get up to leave, I realize I am looking forward to it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Hey, guys! I wanted to thank you for your support. I am honestly surprised by the response. You guys are awesome! I've never written a fanfic before, so bear with me as I learn how to write creatively and not scientifically. Please, please, please review and let me know what you think. Am I following fanfiction etiquette correctly? Is there something I should be doing that I'm not? Feel free to PM me with any questions/concerns._

_Also, there was some concern that I was going to make Madge evil. Rest assured, dear readers, that I like Madge and would never do such a thing. It will be okay, I promise. _

_If you would like, you guys can follow me on Twitter ( InSiriusDenial). Most of my tweets are about The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, and surprisingly, Footloose. I don't know how this happened. I hope to hear from all of you! Enjoy!_

_-Lacey_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. All of the characters belong to Suzanne Collins.  
**

* * *

Despite my best efforts, I had Peeta Mellark on my mind for the rest of the day. As I've said before, I don't know much about Peeta. I know that he has been one of the most popular boys in school since we were young, I know that he participates in almost everything, and I know that his parents own a bakery down the street from my house.

I know that he is the kindest person I've ever met.

A few years ago, I took Prim to look at the cakes in the Mellark Bakery for her birthday. We didn't have the money to buy a cake, with my dad gone and mom trying to make ends meet. I wanted to do something special with her, something that she never got to do but always wanted to.

We walked in, and Peeta was at the front counter. He said hello, and Prim began talking with him while I looked on in silence.

"It's your birthday?!" he said, "Happy birthday! How old are you today?"

"Nine," Prim said with a blush.

"Wow! Practically a grown woman! Is there anything I can help you find?"

I took the chance to speak up, "No, we just came here to look at the cakes."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything," he said with a smile.

He didn't breathe down our necks. That was something I experienced before when I was here with mom. Mrs. Mellark stood over you and made sure you bought something. Prim and I looked at the cakes. She oooh'd, ahhh'd and gasped when something struck her as exceptionally beautiful. "How could anyone eat these cakes? They are too pretty."

We walked toward the door and pushed it open when I heard a clattering in the back of the shop. Peeta ran out from behind the counter. "Wait!" he shouted.

Prim and I turned around. He stopped in front of us holding a box. "Here is something for your birthday." He handed the box to Prim.

"I don't have any money," I said sternly, taking the box from Prim and shoving it back toward him.

He put his hands up, rejecting the box. "Nononono, it's free of charge! Just something I made for the birthday girl."

If it hadn't been for the excited look on Prim's face, I would have taken the box and thrown it in his face. I didn't want his charity.

I handed the box to Prim reluctantly. She opened it and her eyes lit up. I hadn't seen her smile like that in ages. She looked up at me, her eyes threatening tears, and said, "Katniss…"

I looked in the box and saw a chocolate cupcake decorated with purple, fondant primrose. It was far more beautiful than the cakes. It was special. Just for Prim.

"Thank you!" Prim shouted. Still holding the box, she ran up to Peeta and threw her arms around his waist. He laughed and graciously accepted the hug, patting her on the back. "No problem," he said, "It's your day!"

"Come on, Prim." She released him, thanking him again for the cupcake.

When we got back to the house, I left Prim to eat. I went upstairs and cried for the first time since dad died. I got to see Prim smile again. It was a wonderful moment. I didn't even thank him, and I hate myself for it. I'll never stop owing him for that.

The bell rang for the end of the school day, shaking me from my thoughts. I walk to my locker to grab my coat.

"Catnip, wait up!" I turn around to see Gale dodging students that are walking on the wrong side of the hallway. He towered over all of them, so he wasn't hard to spot. He finally reached me and said, "Hey are you alright? You seemed kind of distracted at lunch today."

"I was distracted?" I retort. "How would you know? You were too busy drooling over Madge."

"I wasn't 'drooling', okay? I'm fairly certain I was able to keep most of the saliva in my mouth."

"Yeah, okay," I smirk.

"What are you doing later? You wanna take a walk through the woods, hunt, blow off some steam?" he asks.

"I can't. I have to meet Peeta Mellark. We have a project in A&P, and we are going to decide on responsibilities."

Gale's brow furrows, and he scoffs. "Seriously? It's the first day. I took Abernathy's class. You have the _whole_ semester to do that project."

"Well some of us don't like to procrastinate until the night before, Gale. Besides, I'm glad that someone around here takes initiative."

Gale's features soften. "Fine. Let me know if you get bored with Mellark and want to do something interesting."

I close my locker. "Bye, Gale." I can tell he is upset. It has become somewhat of a tradition for us to go out into the woods after our first day of school. I make a mental note to make it up to him.

"Bye, Catnip." Okay, good. He called me that stupid nickname, so he must not be too mad.

* * *

After getting off the bus, I walked Prim back to the house. She jabbered away about her first day of middle school and all the new friends she made. I'm glad it wasn't horrible. I told her I was leaving, and she seemed glad that she would have the house to herself. "Do your homework, Prim. Stay off the phone. Mom will probably be home in half an hour."

"Yeah yeah yeah." I hug her and head down the street toward the bakery.

The walk isn't long, but it feels good to be outside for a while. The sun is shining. The light breeze carried with it the scent of autumn. It would be here soon.

When I am outside of the bakery doors, I take a deep breath.

Wait. Why am I nervous, exactly?

I clench my hands a few times and shrug back my shoulders to try and relieve some tension and pull open the door. A bell above the door rings. The bakery is empty, and there is no one at the counter to greet me. Slowly, I walk further inside. I glance around the counter and into the back room. He's got to be here, right?

I decide to go wait at a table. I'm sure they know I'm here. As I'm passing by the display cases, I can't help but be amazed. They have a large selection: breads, pastries, cakes, muffins, cupcakes. I stop at the end of the case. Whatever this is, I need it in my mouth.

"Hey!"

I jump, and look to my left. Peeta is standing there smiling (of course) and drying his hands with a towel. He is covered in flour and has a dusting of it on his right cheek.

How long has he been standing there? Quickly I say, "Sorry, I got here and no one was here, so I was gonna sit down, but then I got distracted and…"

"No, I didn't mean to startle you. You are allowed to look around," he laughs. "Do you see anything you like?" He walks over and sees what I've been eyeing.

"Ah. So that is what you were ogling when I walked out here."

"Guilty," I smirk. "What are they?"

"Well, these are a very special type bun. On the top of the bun is a cheese imported from Sweden. The cheese can only be made with the milk of a certain type of cow, during a specific season, and at an altitude of 1,500 meters. It's kind of a big deal."

"Really?" I say, impressed.

He laughs, "No, no. Kidding. It's just your regular cheese bun. I make these because it reminds me that things don't have to be complicated to be good."

I smile.

"Would you like one?"

"No that's okay. I…"

He cuts me off, "Please, I insist." He grabs a plate from behind him and uses a pair of tongs to grab me a bun. He walks around the counter and leads me to a table. I look down at the black and white checkered floor as we walk, afraid to meet his eyes.

He chooses a table and sits. He sets the plate on the table and looks at me expectantly. When I sit, I can smell the cheese bun. It smells better than I could have possibly imagined. I pull my eyes from the bun and look at him.

"We aren't going to talk about anything until you try it," he says.

Well, if he insists. I bring my fingers to the bun. I pull it apart and notice it is still warm. I tear off a piece and bring it to my mouth. When it touches my tongue it almost melts. I try me best to hide my pleasure, but it can't be helped. I stifle a moan, but my eyes roll back. I sigh before swallowing. Holy cheese buns, it is delicious.

"Good, right?" he asks.

"Good? Peeta, it's amazing."

"Thank you." We sit silently. I can feel his eyes on me as I continue to eat, no, devour the cheese bun. Normally I would be bothered, but not today.

When I finish he asks, "So, I think I know how we can work this out."

"Okay," I say hesitantly.

"I looked up psoriasis earlier today. We can split the report into four parts. Um, I can take care of the five different types and the symptoms, and I was thinking you could take care of the causes and how the disease progresses.

My eyes are wide, "Yeah, okay."

I can tell he is confused by my expression. "What?" he asks.

"Nothing, I'm just impressed."

He smiles, and I see his cheeks are tinged pink. "Thanks. Alright, how about in two weeks or so we meet back here to go over our information? We can bounce it back and forth and see what else we need."

I nod. He stands up from his chair, and I follow. He walks behind the counter and grabs a box similar to the one he gave us with Prim's cupcake years ago. He walks over to the end of the display case, pulls out a few cheese buns, and places them in the box. He walks out from behind the counter, his eyes on me the whole time. He stands directly in front of me with the box held out for me to take.

I am unable to meet his gaze. This checkered floor and I are becoming fast friends.

"Take it," he says.

"Peeta I…I can't accept this."

"Of course you can. I'm sure Prim will be jealous if she finds out you got a cheese bun and she didn't." I can't believe he brought her up. My heart melts. He is persuasive, I'll give him that. I take the box.

"I hope she paid for that," says a cold, annoyed voice.

I look up at Peeta. His smile is gone. He closes his eyes while dread and disappointment begin to take over his normally happy face.

I look over his shoulder and see his mother. "No, mother. She did me a favor, and I am paying her back, okay?"

She scoffs. I look back at Peeta, and it's the first time I have ever seen uncertainty on his face.

He says, "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow, alright?" He tries to smile, but all I see is a fear. He grabs my hand.

Uuuuhh…he is holding my hand. I jump a little. I hope he didn't notice. Initially, I fight the urge to slap him across the face, but my body gives in. I squeeze his hand in response.

He caressed my hand with his thumb, and it felt white hot. Electric. I've never been more aware of someone touching me. The moment felt like forever but was over too quickly. "Bye, Katniss."

He lets go. I feel loss. I barely manage to stutter out, "Bye," as I back toward the door. He turns and goes behind the counter. That is all I see as I'm out the door and walking back home.

What happened in there? I feel flustered and scared. I hope he isn't going to be in trouble. His hand, though. So soft, yet strong, and warm. And, I _let_ him hold my hand. I _let _him. What the hell? Why?

Pull it together, Everdeen. It's not a big deal. It was just a farewell, it's not like you have to marry him now or anything. Plus it was only for a second. You know what you should be focusing on? The fact that you got him in trouble. It's your fault. His mother is a total bitch, and she definitely isn't going to let it slide.

I walk in the house and turn into the kitchen. I place the box on the counter. Prim's voice shakes me out of my thoughts. "Hey, what are those?" She is sitting at the kitchen table with what looks like homework spread about.

My voice feels thick. "They," I clear my throat, "They are cheese buns."

"Yum! Can I have one?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Of course."

I turn to go back up to my room. "Katniss?"

"Yeah?"

"Your cheeks are all pink. Are you okay?"

Damn cheeks. Traitors. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"It was Peeta wasn't it? He is _really_ cute."

"God, no Prim. What? I just don't feel well is all."

"Mmhmm."

"Don't eat all of those buns, got it?" I say changing the subject and giving her a glare.

"Mmhmm," she says again. She is smirking at me. How is it that sisters always know when shit is bothering you?


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey, everyone! I feel like it has been forever since I posted. It has only been a week right? I will warn you that this chapter is short, but I will be posting the next chapter sooner than I normally would. I could push it, but the original end of this chapter just wasn't right. It felt wrong to post it when I wasn't ready. I hope you all understand. Just a couple more days and you will have it, I promise! If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to PM me. Thanks for following and reviewing! _

_Lacey_

* * *

"Katniss, to your left."

I look to my left and see a few turkeys. I carefully pull an arrow from my quiver and place it on my bow. I pull back and take aim. I let it fly.

And miss.

"Damn, Everdeen. Where's your head?" Gale says as the turkeys scuttle away from the arrow.

I put my hand on my head and sigh. "I don't know." This is the first time I've been hunting since school started three weeks ago. We should have gone out sooner, but both Gale and I were having difficulty finding the time. Apparently, senior year wasn't as carefree as Gale claimed it would be.

"You're getting rusty."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Maybe we should have come out on the first day of school like I asked. It _was_ a tradition. You broke it, and now you're cursed."

"Ha. Yeah, okay."

I should have come out here with him. We've done it every year since I was thirteen. I came across mine and Gale's place pretty soon after I turned thirteen. I went on a walk to get away from my mother. I was frustrated with her for not doing her job and being a goddamn mom. I don't remember what she did exactly. Not because I have forgiven her, but because she has done worse things than whatever she did that particular time.

I found this spot. It was covered with grass and surrounded by trees, almost blocking it from the view of the path. I walked out to it and saw the mountains across the way. I've never felt more at home. I sat there until it was dark and my anger had mostly subsided.

I walked out there the next day and found Gale. I aimed my bow at him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said.

"Get out of here."

"Hey, that's not fair. I've been coming here for years. This is where I come before I hunt."

"Well if you were any kind of hunter, you would have heard me coming."

He laughed. "What's your name?"

I barely whispered, "Katniss."

"Catnip? Huh. That's different."

"KAT-NISS," I said louder, getting agitated. I was about to graze his ear or his leg with my arrow to scare him off.

"Okay, Catnip. What do you say you give me a chance to show you what I can do with a bow, and maybe we can share."

Despite my agitation, I was interested to see. I made a split decision and shot my arrow at his left foot. It wouldn't have hit him, but it was enough to scare him and make him jump away. He looked at me in shock. "Show me what you've got."

The rest is history. We've met at the spot countless times. I liked having Gale around. He was quiet and never made small talk. We started hunting after the first day of school, just in case we got too busy and had to hold off for a while. We didn't want the animals thinking they owned the woods or anything.

"Well, lets call it a day, shall we? It's starting to get dark, and we're sucking today," Gale said. I nod, and we start toward town.

"So, Catnip, were you thinking about going to the school bonfire on Friday?"

"Gale, when was the last time I thought about going to _any_ school event?"

"Oh, Katniss, come on. It would be good for you, you know? Socializing, making friends…and being my wingman."

"Uhhh, excuse me?" I look at him with my eyebrows raised.

"Please, Katniss. Please! I've decided that I am going to ask Madge to homecoming, and what better place? I have to do it quick before one of those asshole jocks. I need you there as a distraction so I can pull her aside."

"What makes you think that I would be able to pull anyone aside? I've never spoken to those people. Why would they even pay attention?"

"Damn it. Please, just come. If you are not going to do what I ask, then come to support me. Come so that if she says no, I can come talk to you afterwards so I won't look like a total reject."

"Why can't you ask Thom? He would make a much better wingman considering he is, in fact, male."

"Because he's working. Please?"

"Uuuugh."

"Pleeeeeeease?"

"Fine! Fine. Shut up." This will make up for ditching him on the first day of school, I guess.

"Thank you! Thank you so much. You won't regret it. I'll buy you a coffee or something."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

Why, in the name of all that is holy, did I agree to go to this? I can't stop pacing and biting my fingernails.

"Katniss, what are you doing?" Prim asks.

"Just waiting for Gale."

"Is pacing in front of the television how you get him here?" I stop and realize she is right.

"Sorry." I move toward the couch and plop down close to her. I pull her toward me for a hug. It eases my anxiety a bit.

After a few seconds, she pulls away and says, "I don't know why you're so nervous. I can't wait to go to the bonfires!"

Of course she couldn't. There's a knock on the door. I jump up, and walk slowly to the doorway. I don't want him to know that I am nervous. Deep breath. I open the door.

"Hey, Catnip. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I guess," I croak.

"Katniss!"

I turn and see my mother hustling down the stairs. I roll my eyes and look at Gale. He is smiling.

"Hi, Ms. Everdeen. How are you?"

"Hello, Gale. I'm fine, thank you. I just wanted to catch you before you left. Can you please have Katniss home by eleven?" I roll my eyes again. Seriously? Since when do I have a curfew?

She puts her hand on my shoulder. "Yes, ma'am, I will."

"Thank you, Gale. Have a good time." I shrug her hand off my shoulder, push past Gale, and go out the door. Gale says goodbye to my mother as I open the passenger's side door of Gale's truck. I climb in and slam the door. Gale slides into the truck a few moments later.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asks.

"Nope."


	4. Chapter 4

_As promised, here is a new chapter sooner than normal. I hope that you enjoy it. Please review! It's so important to me to hear what you guys think. I can't improve without your help. Also, I know that this relationship is a bit slow going compared to many of the fanfics I have read. I just felt that I should try and make it real. I hope you're all well. Thank you all for everything!_

_Lacey_

**DISCLAIMER (*****cough* sinceiforgotlasttime *cough*): I do not own the Hunger Games. These awesome characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

"So, should we go over the plan again?"

"No, I think I've got it. Find Madge, walk up to her and her friends, engage them in conversation, you pull Madge aside and ask her out. You're a planning mastermind, Gale."

"Hey now. I brought you here for your support, not your sarcasm."

"Yes, sir," I say. We get out of the car and make our way to the body of students surrounding the fire. It's freezing outside. I wish I would have worn more clothing. I see Gale fidgeting beside me. "How's my hair?" he asks.

"It looks great, Gale," I say without looking.

"Good."

As we near the mass, he starts craning his neck trying to find Madge.

"Hey, Gale!"

Gale turns toward the voice. "Thresh! What's up, man?!"

Gale runs in the direction of the voice. While Gale talks with his friend, I decide to size up this bonfire situation. The fire is tall and roaring. Students are gathering around it for warmth, but some seem completely oblivious to it. Those people are sucking on the face of the person next to them. I hear shouting and laughing. I see a blonde guy that I don't recognize sticking his hand into the fire. Trying to impress a girl, I expect. Dumbass. I decide that I hate this. I turn back to where Gale was.

He is gone. Of course he is. That bastard. I'll kill him.

I decide to walk around, sure that I'll run into him eventually. Maybe he can carry out his plan without me and use Thrash or whatever his name was. I push my way through what feels like hundreds of people to get closer to the fire so I can warm myself. When I finally get close enough, I put my hands out to warm them.

"Didn't expect to see you here, sweetheart."

I cringe and look to my right. "Hello, Mr. Abernathy. Are you sure you should be near an open flame?" I've caught him drinking multiple times these past few weeks. Recently, I walked in the classroom ten minutes before first period and caught him as he unlocked his desk drawer and drank from his flask. When he realized I was there, he didn't try to hide it. He pointed the flask at me and said, "Want a sip, sweetheart?" I decided not to tell anyone.

He chuckles. "Clever. I wanted to talk to you about what you saw the other day."

"You don't have to worry about it, Mr. Abernathy."

"That's good to hear." I can't believe he trusts me. I shift awkwardly and start planning a get away. He says, "What brings you here tonight? I'm sure it wasn't to visit all of your friends."

Ouch. "Actually, a friend brought me here, and now I can't find him."

"Tough break. Well, that Mellark boy looks pretty eager to talk to you. He probably wants to talk about your project. I'll get him over here."

"N-," I start as Mr. Abernathy waves him over.

I flush. I can feel my throat getting dry. I see Peeta walking toward me from around the fire. I haven't talked to him since the incident at the bakery and have been avoiding his attempts at conversation for the past few weeks. I also missed our meeting that we were supposed to have last week.

"Have fun, sweetheart." I look toward Mr. Abernathy with my eyes wide. He smiles, and then gets distracted by a couple that is basically having sex on the ground next to him. "Break it up!" he shouts.

I lock eyes with Peeta. There's no escape now. He knows that I've seen him.

I suddenly feel too hot. When he reaches me, he says, "Hey, did you need something?"

I feel like I am choking. "Mr. Abernathy," I clear my throat, "He said that you looked like you wanted to talk to me about the project."

He smiles and looks to the ground, "Well he was mostly right."

"So, you don't want to talk about the project?"

"Well, not exactly," he smiles.

I am burning the hell up now. I need to get away from this fire. I don't want to be rude and blow him off. Normally, I would just walk away, but at the moment I feel like his company would be better than no company. Especially if it keeps me from having awkward conversations with teachers. I give in. "I will talk to you as long as we can get away from this fire," I say.

"Really?! Okay, lead the way."

I shove through the crowd and try to make my way to the bleachers set up just outside the throng with Peeta in tow. I climb up a few rows and sit near the end. Peeta sits an inch or two away. I start to cool off.

We sit in silence for a couple of really long seconds. "So," he starts awkwardly. He seemed so confident a minute ago. "Uhh, what was Mr. Abernathy talking with you about?"

"He wanted me to keep a secret."

Peeta leans in closer to me. I pull back, only slightly, but I don't think he noticed. "Was it about his little drinking problem?"

I raise an eyebrow at him and nod. "How do you know about that?"

"I caught him last year. I didn't have the heart to turn him in. I promised him I wouldn't say anything. I don't know if you've noticed, but I bring him bread once in a while. I don't think he eats much. He's really great at his job, and I don't want to see him go."

Mr. Abernathy can be a real asshole (e.g., about 5 minutes ago), but Peeta is right. I don't really want to see him go either. "Wow, he has a real problem," I say quietly.

"He does, but he's also the smartest man I know."

I nod. "I'm not going to say anything."

"I know you won't."

I look around the crowd and try to spot the elusive Gale. Still no sign of him. Peeta clears his throat. "Katniss, I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay."

He takes a quick breath, "We are doing this project together, and you're a great partner and everything, but I was wondering if…" he pauses, "If maybe…"

He has my attention. I start tapping my leg in anticipation. What? If maybe what?!

"Maybe we could be friends," he blurts out.

Oh. I feel saddened by this, but I'm not sure why. What was I expecting?

"I can't stand going on like this where we only talk about our project and then ignoring each other the rest of the time."

"I've never been very good at friends," I reply.

"Well, the way the friend thing works is that we tell each other the deep stuff. We can start with something simple. Like uh...what's your favorite color?"

I grin, "I don't know about that Peeta. That's a little personal."

He chuckles. "Seriously, though, what is it?"

"Green. Yours?"

"Orange."

"Like Miss Trinket's hair?"

"No, more like a sunset kind of orange." I nod. "So, what do you say? Friends?"

I smile, "Fine. I'll allow it."

He releases the breath he has been holding. You would think that he asked to marry me, damn.

"Great. Okay, glad that's over."

"What? You don't do this often?" I say facetiously.

"Ha! Make fun of me all you want."

"Oh, I will."

"I would expect nothing less from a friend."

Here I am, blushing again. "Would you like to get some hot chocolate or something? I'm pretty cold."

"Sure." He gets up and starts making his way down the bleachers. "Hey, Peeta?" He turns to me. "This has been bothering me for weeks." I shift from foot to foot, clasping my hands.

He looks at me, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Did I get you in trouble a couple weeks ago?" I blurt out as quickly as possible.

He furrows his brow and smiles. "What do you mean?"

"Well your mother looked pretty pissed…"

"Katniss, is this why you haven't been talking to me?"

I nod, ashamed. I avoid his eyes.

"I can't believe you're worried about that. I never wanted you to feel that way. My mom can be a real bitch sometimes. It took me a while, but I've learned how to handle it."

"So I didn't get you in trouble?"

"No. Absolutely not. Even if I got in trouble, I wouldn't take back what I did."

I'm beyond relieved. I thought for sure that woman was going to hit him.

"Now, can we go get that hot chocolate? I'm freezing over here." He holds out his arm for me to take. I grab around his elbow and accept his help down the bleachers. When we reach the ground, he grabs my hand and won't let me go. I realize he is taking advantage of my feeling bad for him, and he knows it, too. I decide that he deserves it, but only this time. We walk arm in arm to the concession stand. I feel much too warm for hot chocolate.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. The characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

"Catnip, where have you been?" Gale says, striding toward the truck. I've been waiting here for about 15 minutes. Peeta offered to drive me home, but I told him I had better wait for Gale. I wanted so badly to accept his offer, especially now that I can't stop shivering.

"I could ask you the same! You ditched me two hours ago."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I was talking to Thresh, and by the time I turned back to find you, you were gone." He unlocked my door, and I jumped in as quickly as I could. The cold leather seat did nothing to help my body temperature. Gale climbed in the other side and started the truck. He turned the heat up. It took forever for his truck to get warm. "The upside of all this is that you were relieved of your wingman duty. Thresh was happy to do it."

"That was probably for the best. So, you asked her?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

Gale sighed, "She said no."

"I'm sorry, Gale."

"Ah, it's no big deal. I'll ask her again on Monday," he said, a smile growing on his face.

I give him an incredulous look, "Seriously?"

He laughs, "Yeah. I think she's playing hard to get is all. I'll just show her that I'm serious."

"How's that?"

"Well for starters, I'll ask her until she says yes. If it takes further persuasion, I am willing to go there."

I decide that I'm not going to ask what that means. I know Gale and how headstrong he can be. He's a guy that always gets what he wants if he wants it bad enough. I have no doubt that Madge Undersee will be going to homecoming with him. "Good luck, Gale."

"You ready to get out of here?" he asks as he puts the truck in gear. He starts driving out of the parking lot and then looks over at me. "So, what were you up to that whole time? Did I see you with Mellark?"

I get butterflies in my stomach at the mention of his name. I try to evade his question. "You saw me and didn't bother to come and get me? Asshole."

"You looked like you were having a good time," Gale said with a smirk. "You guys were walking arm in arm. I wasn't going to break that up."

I blush. Of course that's the part he saw out of the whole two hours.

"He offered to get me hot chocolate. I felt bad for him, so I let him to take my arm, okay?"

He looked slightly confused. I knew he is wondering how it even got to that point, but I choose not to elaborate. After a few moments, he replies, "I'm surprised he still has a face, to be honest. Why did you feel bad? Did he ask you to homecoming and you rejected him, too?"

My throat starts to close up at the idea. I try my best to swallow and clear my throat. "It's a long story. Anyways, we are friends now."

Gale looks at me in shock. "You, Katniss Everdeen, made a friend?"

I punch him in the arm. "Ow! Damn. Sorry," he says as he rubs his arm.

"Yes, we are friends, okay? He's really not so bad."

"No, he's not," Gale says seriously. He doesn't press the issue any more. For the rest of the way home, he gives me a recap of what happened with Madge. We pull into my driveway at 10:50.

"Well, I got you home on time." Anger rushes in and washes away my good mood. I had forgotten all about that. "I know you weren't thrilled about going, but did you have a little bit of fun?"

I had to admit that I did. I'm glad that I had a chance to talk to Peeta about what happened a few weeks ago. "Yeah."

"Good," he says with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yep." I open the truck door and hop to the ground. I walk quickly to the front door. I hear Gale start to pull away and open the door. I'm met with a rush of warm air. I hustle to my room. If possible, I would like to avoid a conversation with my mother. Success.

* * *

I am so, so glad that I talked to Peeta last Friday. This week has been far better than the last few. I have been able to look at him without feeling ashamed, and I can finally calm down enough around him to pay attention in A&P. When we have free time, I let him do most of the talking, but when I do speak, he is extremely attentive. We decided at the beginning of the week that we would meet at the bakery on Thursday to talk about the project. I couldn't help but feel nervous about it, and he could tell. He said, "Don't worry. My mother won't be around, I promise. She doesn't come in on Thursdays."

I am doing well socially this week, but physically I feel like shit. What started off as a tickle in my throat on Sunday night has become a full blown, barking cough by Thursday afternoon. I take the bus home alone, because Prim went home with a friend. I make my way toward the Mellark Bakery. All I want to do is lay in my bed, but I can't bring myself to let Peeta down. The walk takes longer than it should, and by the time I walk in the door, I can't control my shiver.

"Hey!" Peeta flashes me a smile, but his expression quickly changes to concern. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'll make it," I manage to croak.

"I could tell that you were sick, but you seemed alright this morning."

"Thanks for politely telling me that I look like shit, Peeta," I say with a smile before I begin hacking.

He runs out to me from behind the counter. He looks at me, serious. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." He starts rubbing my back as my coughing fit begins to taper off. I step away from him. I can't tell if I have the chills because he is touching me or because I'm feverish. He notices that his touch has made me uncomfortable. Instead of being embarrassed, he quickly tells me to have a seat at his favorite table. I do as he asks.

I wait for a couple of minutes. He comes back with a cup of steaming liquid and places it in front of me. I look up at him with an eyebrow raised.

"It's tea. Dandelion. Trust me, it's good for you." As I start to object, he silences me with a stern look. "Drink it," he says.

I relent, and I do what he asks. It tastes amazing and feels even better on my throat.

He pulls out some notes from his book bag. "This is what I have so far. Here are all of the different types," he says, spreading out pictures in front of me. "I have also started the report." He tosses a copy at me. "I thought that it might be a good idea to have some type of visual aid for our presentation, so I started making a powerpoint." He tosses a copy of that at me as well. Holy shit.

I place my tea on the table and begin looking over his work. "You've outdone yourself, Peeta. This is great."

He smirks and says, "Thanks." As I look through his work, it becomes clear to me that he is an excellent writer. His half of the paper is probably close to done. I can't believe this. Wow.

I pick up my tea and take another sip, trying to think of how to say that I haven't exactly put as much time into it as he has.

I cough but manage to suppress it to say, "I'm sorry, but I haven't done as much as you have." I reach into my bag and pull out my research. I have a large pile of sources, but nothing is typed up. I hand him my things, and he begins to look through them.

I clear my throat, "I haven't typed anything up, but I have a general idea of how it will go."

"What's with all of the DNA stuff? I'm not sure I understand."

"Basically, psoriasis is a genetic disease. It is hard to pinpoint exactly where in the DNA sequence it occurs, but scientists think they have pinpointed some."

"Whoa," he says with his eyebrows raised. He continues to look through my information. "There is a special type of arthritis people with psoriasis can get? Damn."

I nod. He looks up at me and says, "I think we are off to a great start."

I take a sip of tea. "Especially since you are already done."

"No, I'm not even close. It's just a first draft." This boy makes me look bad.

"I'll have something written up for you next week, okay?" I start gathering up my things and the copies that he gave me. I shove them into my bag and then take the last gulp of my tea. "That was good. Thank you."

"Katniss, let me take you home," Peeta says as he rushes to clean up the table.

"No, it's alright. It's not a long walk."

Peeta takes my cup into the back room and shouts to his father, "Dad, I'm driving Katniss home. She isn't feeling well." He reappears behind the counter with one arm in his jacket.

"Peeta, this really isn't necessary…"

"Katniss, I'm going to do this for you. It is freezing outside, and you are sick. You don't have a choice."

"But…" I'm betrayed by my cough. He takes this opportunity to speak.

"I don't see anything wrong with getting a little bit of help." His expression is stern. I wait for a smile, but it never comes. "I'm taking you home."

He walks toward me and places his hand on my back. He leads me out the door to his car in the side parking lot. He opens my door, and ushers me inside. When he gets in and starts the car, the heater blows at full blast. It takes much less time for his car to heat up than Gale's.

He begins driving toward my house. We don't speak. My head begins to pound, so I hold it in my hands. The car ride takes maybe two minutes, but the silence makes the time drag. Is he mad at me?

The car is stopped. I look up and realize I am home. How long have we been here?

"Are you alright? Come on, I'll walk you to the door."

"No," I say. I grab my book bag and open the door. I manage to get out, but my head begins to swim. I stand still for a moment to let my brain catch up. I must have stood to fast. I begin walking toward my front door, coughing. I make it to the side walk, and I feel like I am about to throw up. My head swims again.

I feel arms wrap around me. I turn and look into Peeta's ice blue eyes. I'm beginning to miss his smile. I hate the way he looks when he is worried. "I'm alright," I say, but I don't struggle out of his arms. They are warm and strong, just like his hands. I don't know how long we stand like this, but I don't want it to stop. I feel safe.

"No, you're not." He puts one arm at my back, bends down, and puts his other arm behind my knees. He scoops me into his arms effortlessly. My mind is freaking out, but my body seems to be alright with it. It relaxes instantly. Of their own accord, my head rests on his shoulders, and my arms wrap around his neck. What the hell am I doing right now?

I hear my door open. I try to focus on anything but the pounding in my head. Peeta's loud footsteps, the heat from his body, the strength of his arms, his scent. It's a little different today. He smells like vanilla.

He gently lays me on my bed. He sits down near my feet and begins removing my shoes. "How did you know this was my room?" I ask. My voice sounds hoarse.

I hear him chuckle. "It's the only green one." Oh.

With my shoes removed, he gets up and heads for the door. "Wait," I whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me."

He sits down next to me and begins rubbing my back. I begin to drift off to sleep. I think I hear him reply, "Always."

* * *

_Oh, I love me some fluff. So, what are you guys thinking? Katniss finally let her guard down a little. That can only be a good thing, right? Also, poor Gale :(_

_Don't forget to review! I love hearing from you! Thank you to those of you that have followed and are reviewing._

_Lacey_


	6. Chapter 6

I wake with a start as I hear a loud clattering downstairs. I sit up quickly making my head swim and then it starts pounding_._ Oooooowww. My memory steadily comes back to me. I felt sick, I went to the bakery, Peeta brought me home, and….

Oh my god. I'm such an idiot.

I put my hands to my head, mostly out of embarrassment, but also to keep my head from actually splitting open. I can't breathe out my nose. I try to sniff, but it doesn't help. My throat is on fire. I hear someone whistling downstairs. It's not anyone in my family, that's for sure. Is Peeta still here?

I walk quietly down the stairs, taking my time in order to stay balanced. I walk to the kitchen, but I stay hidden behind the wall next to the entryway.

Peeta stops whistling and starts to sing, "If I told you things I did before, told you how I used to be, would you go along with someone like me?" He starts mumbling words, occasionally adding in a word he knows. He then resorts to whistling the tune he was before I came down.

I can't help but laugh. I try to do so quietly, but it quickly turns into a coughing fit. His whistling stops abruptly, and before I know it, he is at my side with his hand on my back.

"Katniss, what are you doing out of bed?" he asks, still wearing that concerned expression that I want to remove from his face so badly.

"How long was I out?" I ask, completely ignoring his question. My voice sounds gravelly. I probably won't have one tomorrow.

"A couple of hours. I thought I'd come down here and make you some soup or something." That explains the clattering. Our pans are rarely ever touched, and they are definitely not put away neatly.

"My mom's not here?"

He looks around as if expecting her to pop out of a wall. "Not that I know of." She must be working overtime and forgot to tell me.

I sigh and walk into the kitchen. I take a seat at the kitchen table and rest my head in my hands. I sense movement, but I don't look up. After a few minutes, I hear water boiling. Peeta places a cup in front of me and begins pouring the boiling water into it. He says, "Let this steep for a couple of minutes, and it should be fine to drink." He hustles to the pantry and returns quickly. He sets a bottle of honey by my cup. I didn't even know we had honey. "It will make your throat feel better."

He goes back to doing whatever it was he was doing before I interrupted (minus the singing, of course). I try to think past my headache. What was I thinking earlier? I just let him manhandle me without any objection. If Gale did that, I would have seriously injured him. Why did I do that?

It felt good. That's why. It felt good to be in his embrace. It was warm, steady. I didn't want to be anywhere else. Actually, I wouldn't mind it right now…

Stop it.

This stops now. We are going to have to put up some boundaries because this isn't how friends act with one another. Gale and I don't act this way together. It's not right.

"Here you are," Peeta says, startling me from my thoughts. He places a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of me. "I would have made it from scratch, but you didn't have the ingredients. Canned can still be pretty good, though."

I get angry at his statement, even thought I realize it's irrational. I mock him silently. _Meh, I__'__m Peeta. I make food from scratch because I__'__m Peeta. I__'__m so awesome and perfect and handsome and__…_

I choke on my first bite of soup. Even my thoughts are starting to betraying me.

I manage to get my second bite down without any trouble. Peeta is sitting across from me, but I avoid his eyes. I can feel them on me. I can sense his annoying concern.

"Thank you, Peeta," I say without looking at him.

"It's no problem. I called my dad, and he told me it wasn't a big deal. We weren't very busy."

"Are you ever? I don't think I've ever seen a person in there." He looks momentarily hurt, but quickly rebounds. I realize too late that what I said was actually very rude.

"We do most of our business during breakfast. Also, we do a lot of wedding cakes and stuff like that."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude," I say as quickly as possible, wanting to slap myself.

"You're fine! It's true. There aren't many opportunities at other jobs for you to sit down and talk with your friends about school projects."

Silence falls between us. I feel uncomfortable. He doesn't speak again until I am finished with my soup. "Are you ready to go back to bed?"

I nod. I feel a little better than before. I start to clean up my dishes, but he shoos me away. "Don't worry about it," he says.

I start toward the steps, and he follows me. I turn to tell him that this is completely unnecessary and that I can handle it, but when he places his hand on my back and urges me forward, I decide now is not the time. He lets me go into my room alone so that I can change into pajamas. I undo my braid and open the door. He walks in, "I think it would be a good idea if we…"

I start climbing into bed. I look at him, and his eyes are wide. I start to blush under his gaze. "What?"

"...If we took your temperature."

"We don't have a thermometer."

"Aha. No worries. My hands can detect a temperature better than any thermometer."

"Is that so?"

"It's true. I have a gift." I have my doubts, but I'll let him try if it makes him feel better. He sits down next to me, and looks at me for a moment.

"Well?" I ask, deciding it's been too long.

"I don't think I've ever seen you wear your hair down. It looks beautiful."

I feel myself blush, and then I'm hit with a wave of anger.

"Peeta, stop saying things like that…"

His hand is on my forehead. He then slides it down to my cheek and leaves it there for a while. "You're on fire." He gets up abruptly and walks to my bathroom. I miss his touch.

He comes back and hands me two white pills and a glass of water from my nightstand that he must have left there earlier. I take them and lay back down. I just get around to closing my eyes when he places a cool wash cloth on my head. My eyes fly open. What is he doing? I need to tell him to stop. We look into each other's eyes while he continues pressing the wash cloth on my forehead and cheeks. After a while I ask, "What are you doing?"

"Shh. Relax. I just want to bring down your temperature. I can't leave you here alone like this."

"I'll be fine."

"Pfft. Yeah. Says the girl that nearly passed out in the driveway. I'm so glad I was here. You could have been laying outside in the cold all night."

"Well, I'm sure I could have made it into the house without you carrying me."

"You didn't seem to mind at the time." It is impossible for me to deny it. I melted into his arms completely, and I never wanted to leave. "Like I said before, Katniss, there's nothing wrong with getting help. It's okay to ask for it, and it's okay to admit that you need it." Slowly, he grabs my hand and gently caresses it with his thumb while continuing to move the wash cloth around my face. It reminds me of the time he grabbed my hand in the bakery. It feels the same. Electric. Every word he says and every gentle touch chips away my resolve bit by bit. Maybe a friendship with Peeta is just different from my friendship with Gale. I've never had many friends, so what do I know about what they do with each other? Maybe this is Peeta's definition. I don't really understand, but I can at least give Peeta some respect and try not to overthink it.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Finally, he smiles. I was worried I would never see it again. I start to doze off. I feel comfortable and warm. I hear commotion downstairs. Mom and Prim.

"I think I should be going now. I'll let them know you're up here. Just get some rest." He raises my hand to his lips and gives it a gentle kiss. I want to protest, but I don't have the energy. I wish he could stay with me forever. "Goodnight."

* * *

_Author's Note: Hello! I hope you're well. I wanted you guys to know that the song that Peeta is singing is called "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John. Also, is there a wonderful person out there who is willing to make me a cover image? If you would like to, just PM me. I am no good at that sort of thing. I think this story should have a picture associated with it. _

_I will have another update soon. __You guys are awesome! Please continue to review/follow/fave! Tell me what you think. This wouldn't be nearly as fun without your feedback._

_Thank you so much!_

_Lacey_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. These characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

"Damn it! Why is she being so difficult?" Gale yells in frustration. He had asked Madge to homecoming every day this week, and she showed no sign of giving in. "I know she wants to go with me!"

"How do you know?" I ask. My voice is still hoarse, but I can manage to talk if I drink enough tea.

"She hasn't said yes to anyone else." Gale jumps up from sitting on my bed and begins pacing around my room. "I'm gonna have to do something drastic. Something no one will expect. I didn't want to do this, but she's brought me to this point."

"Gale, please, just sit down and chill for a second before you do anything crazy."

"No, Katniss. No. You know what I'm gonna do?"

I roll my eyes. "What, Gale?"

He takes a deep breath, "I'm not gonna tell you."

"Okay then." I lean back on my pillows and close my eyes. I think I can hear his brain working. I feel bad for him, but at the moment I feel worse for Madge.

"Come to school on Monday. You'll see." He walks out my door and runs down the steps. I hear him murmur goodbyes to Prim and my mother and then slam the door. He peels out of the driveway.

It's Saturday. I missed school yesterday because my mother insisted. Honestly, I didn't mind so much. It felt good to sleep all day. At least I had some time to decide what I needed to ask Peeta. Hopefully I will be able to say it without getting distracted, which seems to be a regular occurence.

I hear someone answer the door downstairs. I can hear talking, and I am surprised to hear a male voice. Did Gale come back?

Moments later, Prim knocks a couple of times and then peeks into my door. "Katniss, you got a delivery."

"What?"

She pushes the door open further. She has a box in her hands that I recognize all too well. It's from the Mellark Bakery. She walks to my bed and places it on my lap. She is waiting for me to open it, but I already know what's inside. Cheese buns.

* * *

I go to school on Monday, not necessarily because I'm better, but because I have to see what Gale is going to do. He doesn't meet me at my locker like normal, so I can only assume he is busy. When I get to Mr. Abernathy's classroom, it is nearly time for first period to begin. I take my seat, next to a smiling Peeta. "Thank you for the cheese buns, Peeta."

His smile widens, if that is possible. "No problem. I just hope they made you feel better."

"Hey, uh…I don't think I can thank you enough for…helping me out the other day. I was kind of a mess." My tone almost sounded sarcastic, but I've never been more sincere.

"Anytime."

At that moment, the PA system squealed. The shrill and chipper voice of Miss Trinket echoed through the room. "Good morning, students. I would like all of you to make your way to the gymnasium for a short assembly. Thank you!"

"An assembly on a Monday? Weird," says Peeta. "Walk with me?"

"Sure."

We exit the classroom and head toward the gym. It's hard not to get separated in a hallway full of people, but somehow we are able to manage it. I can tell Peeta wants to talk to me, and I to him, but the student body is in an uproar about getting to skip first period on a Monday. The noise makes me wish I were laying in my bed at home.

When we get to the gym and take a seat, he asks, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

I wish I did. "Nope."

As the last of the students take their seats, it is clear to me that no one knows why we are here. I can see Miss Trinket standing next to Mr. Abernathy, whispering something in his ear. Mr. Abernathy begins to laugh and looks at her in disbelief.

"Goooood morning, Panem High!" The voice is familiar, but I refuse to believe it. The voice rang throughout the gym, silencing everyone. I search the gym for the source. I see Gale entering the gym from the back entrance. Whoever gave him that microphone is insane.

"Yo, Gale!" I hear someone shout. His name is repeated in a wave across the gym.

He is wearing a suit and tie, which I have never seen him in before. He did say he was doing something drastic.

He continues, "I'm sorry for pulling you out of first period," the student body starts to clap, but he raises his hands to silence them, "But there is something important that I need to do."

I try to spot Madge.

"For a couple of weeks now, I've been asking this girl to homecoming, and she keeps refusing." The crowd "aaawwwwws". "I tried to think of what I could do to make it clear to her that I was serious, and that nothing would make me happier than to see her on my arm next Saturday for my last homecoming dance." More "aww's" echo through the crowd. They are hanging on his every word. I see a group of freshman girls swooning from across the gym. Some people start to yell in their disbelief that anyone would turn down Gale Hawthorne. Gale only likes to pretend he's not popular. I never realized how popular he actually was until now. I look over at Peeta to see his reaction to the situation. He looks terrified. My attention returns to Gale.

"Madge Undersee," Gale says, and the crowd begins to cheer. Once they have quieted down enough, he continues, "I would like to ask you one last time, with the whole school as my witness, will you please, _please_ go to homecoming with me?" He runs across the gym to pick up a bouquet of flowers. He starts searching the crowd to find her.

After a few moments, she stands up. The crowd begins to cheer. She makes her way down to Gale, slowly. Gale showed no sign of nervousness while talking to every single one of his peers, but now I could tell he is sweating bullets.

She walked straight up to Gale and stood only inches from him. She wiggled her finger at him, indicating that he needed to bend down so she could say something in his ear. The whole gym waited with bated breath.

Gale returned to an upright position. HIs facial expression gave away nothing. "Panem High…"

The student body shared a collective intake of breath.

"SHE SAID YES!"

The crowd roared. Gale lifted a red-faced Madge off of the ground in a hug. He's lucky. I would have slaughtered him on the spot. I start a slow clap and look over at Peeta again. His mouth is open slightly, his chest is heaving, and his disbelief is clear.

I touch his arm and lean toward him. "Are you okay?"

He only nods. I don't really understand his reaction. He seems like a guy that would love this kind of thing.

Then it hits me. He wanted to ask Madge to homecoming.

When we return to first period, Peeta doesn't speak to me. I want to comfort him and tell him I'm sorry for not telling him something was going to happen. Although, Peeta and I have never really talked about Gale before. I've never felt the need to update him on our friendship. Also, I had no idea that Peeta was interested in Madge. Surely, I would have told him about Gale if he would have told me about Madge.

When the bell rings, I grab his arm as he gets up to leave. His eyes are sad. "Do you want to meet at the bakery today?" He looks unsure, but he eventually nods. I let go of him and watch as he exits the room. My heart is breaking for him. It's my turn to make him feel better.

* * *

I walk Prim home from the bus stop. She is arguing with me about coming along to the bakery. I tell her that Peeta and I have important things to talk about and she would only be in the way. She crosses her arms and stomps into the house. "I'll bring you back a treat." She stops.

"Well, I want a cupcake," she snaps.

"Fine," I smile and close the door.

I hustle to the bakery. It looks like it's going to rain, and it would be a bad idea for me to get caught in it right now. My body was pissed before I took it outside in the cold. I take out a tissue and walk into the bakery. The floor is freshly mopped, so I step carefully on the black and white tiles. There is no one up front to greet me.

I decide to announce my presence. "Peeta?" I say loudly.

I hear shuffling. He eventually appears behind the counter. He offers a small smile and a wave. He looks beyond upset. I meet him by the edge of the counter. I hesitate slightly, but I wrap my arms around him and hold him to me tightly. His arms wrap around me in return.

"I'm so sorry, Peeta."

I feel him pull back a little. "For what?"

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Gale asking Madge to homecoming." He pulls away from me completely now. "I had no idea that you wanted to ask her, or I would have told you that Gale was going to ask her."

"You think that I wanted to ask Madge to homecoming?"

"Yes. I saw the look on your face when Gale asked her this morning. Honestly, if I would have known I would have told you. I am really, really sorry." I walk close to him and grab his hand. I am really proud of myself. I am doing for him what he would do for me. I hope to convey to him that I value his friendship, and that I am able to reciprocate. It may be awkward, but this is as much as I can give right now.

He looks at my hand in his. "Katniss, I appreciate your sympathy, but I think you might have gotten the wrong idea." My brow furrows. "I didn't want to ask Madge to homecoming."

"Oh…then what's wrong?"

I can tell he is having difficult deciding if he wants to tell me or not, but he does. "When Gale started talking this morning, I was afraid he was going to ask someone else. I was terrified, actually. I thought I had missed my chance." I remove my hand from his.

I am very confused now. As far as I know, Gale has never had an interest in any other person other than Madge. "Who did you think he was going to ask?"

He clears his throat and looks down at the floor. "You."

It takes everything in me to not laugh in his face. Me? Gale ask me to homecoming? Never in a million years. It has never been like that between us. Wait…

"I always see you two together. I knew that you were friends, and I thought that you might be leaning toward being a couple."

Peeta was afraid that Gale was going to ask me to homecoming? Why? "I don't understand."

"I was afraid I missed my chance. My chance to ask you to go with me." He won't look me in the eye. His face is dark red.

Oh my god. I don't know what to say.

"I was so relieved, but I was scared, too. In that moment I felt like I was going to lose you forever. I was waiting for the right time. I didn't want to scare you off. I like you…a lot."

"Peeta…"

"It's okay to say no. You just needed to know." He won't look at me. I'm not really sure what to do with myself. My palms are sweaty. I fidget awkwardly.

It was my goal to be the best friend I could be when I arrived, and I don't want to let him down now. I decide to be honest. "Well, I'm flattered."

He glances up at me, "Really?"

"Yes. No one has ever asked me before." He seems shocked by this statement. "Honestly, though, I don't know if I would have said yes if they had."

He chuckles, "Yeah, I thought not. So, is that a no for me as well?"

"I'm sorry, but no. I can't go with you." His gaze falls back to the floor. "But, I am willing to do something else with you."

HIs head shoots up. He looks astounded. "What?"

"I hate school functions, and I hate dancing. I will not go to homecoming, but if you are willing to miss it, I will do something else with you. If you want." It's my turn to be shy. How could I ask him to miss homecoming? It's kind of bitchy, but this is all I can offer.

"Well," he starts, "It looks like I'm not going to homecoming this year." I look up to him, and his smile is the brightest I've ever seen it. He looks overjoyed. "I'll pick you up a six next Saturday then?"

"Fine," I reply with a smile. Instead of standing here and making the situation awkward I say, "Great. Um, before I leave, can I have a cupcake for Prim?"

"Anything for Miss Primrose," he says.

"She wanted to come with me today. I promised her I would get her a cupcake if she stayed home." I don't know why I said that. Like he cares.

"You should bring her next time. Maybe I can teach her how to make her own."

"I'm sure she would love that," I say. I haven't smiled this much in years. Peeta really is the nicest person I've ever met. "I'll see you tomorrow, Peeta."

I turn to leave. "Is there anywhere special you want to go next Saturday?"

"I'll let you decide. It was really your idea in the first place. For us to do something together." I continue walking toward the door.

"See you tomorrow!"

"Bye."

I get about a block away from the bakery, and the full weight of what I've done hits me. Hoooooly shit.

* * *

_A/N: Well, guys, it's all out in the open (Peeta's feelings at least). I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it. I was looking for inspiration when it came to Gale's plan to win over Madge, so I looked up ways people have done it in the past. They are called "__promposals". I can't believe they are actually a thing. There are some seriously cute things that people have done, but I couldn't imagine Gale doing any of them. They were still fun to look at, though, I highly recommend searching it. _

_I wanted to share something else with all of you. I have never felt ashamed of my love for The Hunger Games series, but someone on this site made that happen made me feel stupid for loving something that they didn't. I was close to throwing in the towel because they upset me so much, but it made me feel worse to think about this going unfinished. I am really glad that there are people out there that love these character as much as I do, and I appreciate all of your support. Thank you for being awesome and reminding me that I'm not alone in my love for these characters. Screw them._


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. The characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

By the time I walk into the house, I have convinced myself that I made a mistake. There is no way this is going to work out. I know that he pretty much asked me to homecoming, but I still feel like this can't be real, that he likes me enough to spend more time with me outside of school. When we decided to be friends, I never imagined myself here. I thought we would just talk at school and acknowledge each other in the hallway. I never anticipated him coming to my home or hanging out outside of school after the bonfire.

I find Prim alone in the living room. She says hello but continues watching the reality show shit she loves so much. I sit down next to her and place the box containing her cupcake on her lap. She tears her eyes from the television and gasps. "Yay!" She opens the box and takes a huge bite. "Oh muh gud. Soooo goob!" she says with a full mouth.

When she finally looks at me, her smile fades and her chewing slows. She swallows, "Katniss, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I get up to leave.

"Bullshit," she says under her breath.

"PRIMROSE EVERDEEN!"

"What? You say it all the time," she shrugs.

I can't come up with a good argument for her to refrain from saying it. "It's just weird hearing it come from your mouth."

"Sorry, I just know that something is on your mind. I want to hear about it. I'm not a child anymore, okay? I can handle it."

I return to sitting next to her. "You'll always be my baby sister," I say as I reach to play with one of her braids.

"Please tell me. I don't like seeing you upset."

I sigh. I could tell her a bit I guess. "You know that Peeta and I have been friends since I went to the bonfire, right?"

Her face brightens. I've got her attention. She nods vigorously.

"Well, he was upset earlier today, so I tried to make up for all of the times he has helped me out by being a good friend. He ended up asking me to homecoming."

Prim's mouth drops. After a few moments, she composes herself enough to ask, "He did?! What did you say?!"

"I told him no." Prim's awe turns to anger. Words are beginning to form on her lips. I interrupt, "BUT, I agreed to go somewhere else with him."

Her smile returns. "Where are you going?" she asks.

"I don't know. I told him to choose."

"Oh my god, Katniss, you are going to have so much fun."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"What do you mean?"

"I never thought our friendship would come to this." Her face tells me to continue. I've avoided telling her things that are too personal for so long. I gulp and say, "I feel like I can't be what he wants me to be."

Prim huffs, "Katniss, you guys are friends. Part of being friends is accepting the other person for who they are. Peeta isn't expecting you to be anyone other than you!"

"I'm just not sure I can do it. I feel like I've already screwed it up by asking him to do something else other than go to homecoming."

"But he agreed to go with you! I think what he cared about was going with you, not the actual homecoming."

I'm surprised that she is actually making me feel better. I decide to ask what has been bothering me most since she seems to be so good at this. "Prim, did I...am I going on a date?"

She smirks, "I think so."

I rest my elbows on my knees and let my head fall to my hands. That's what I thought. How did this happen?

"Isn't this a good thing? It's about time you started!"

"I don't know if I feel that way about him, though! Isn't this like…leading him on or something?"

"Katniss, it's only a date. You might actually have fun. If you don't, we will worry about it later. Look at me." I lift my head from my hands to look at her. "You are allowed to have fun, you know? Stop worrying. There are some really terrible things in the world, but there are also really good things. It would be a shame to miss them. What if this is something good that you want? If you never try, then you'll never know."

I stare at her in disbelief. All of what she said was so cliche, but it sounded beautiful coming from her mouth. It amazes me even more that it is making me feel better. She is growing up. I pull her into a hug. "I love you," I say.

"I love you, too."

I let go of her and ask, "Where did you learn all of this stuff?"

"Romcoms," she says, as if it were obvious.

I smile. "You're cut off," I say reaching for the remote. She snatches it just before I get to it.

"No! I helped, didn't I?"

I chuckle and pat her shoulder, "I think so."

* * *

As the next couple of weeks fly by and the date (ugh) draws closer, I develop more insecurities. If this is a date, then aren't I supposed to look nice? I'm not very pretty. Where are we going? What if he takes me somewhere that's terrible, and I have to try and deal with it? What if he's a creep? That's impossible, right? What if he tries to kiss me? What if I accidentally say something mean and offend him? I'm such an asshole sometimes.

I feel like I am suffocating.

The upside of this situation is that I require something to distract myself so that I don't actually suffocate. Since I was much farther behind Peeta on our psoriasis project, I decided that this is how I will occupy my mind. We met on Thursday, since his mom wouldn't be there, and at this meeting it is clear that we are nearly finished. I told Peeta that I would work on putting our two halves of the report together, and he could finish our visual aide. We are making excellent time, seeing as we still have a little over a month before it's due.

My cold seems to have cleared up nicely. Peeta swears that it's the dandelion tea that made my recovery so speedy. He is so optimistic. Sometimes, I wish I could see the world through his eyes.

* * *

The day before our date, I am seriously freaking out. I am rummaging through my closet for something to wear while Gale lays on my bed. He is talking about how wonderful his homecoming with Madge is going to be. "I was planning on taking her out to dinner beforehand. Someplace really nice. Then we will go to homecoming, and I will be the perfect gentleman. Then maybe, if she's up to it, we can go back to my house and…"

"Gale…stop now. Please."

"Sorry, I got carried away."

"I'm glad you got her to go with you. I really am." I asked him last week how he pulled off his elaborate proposal, and he didn't really give me a straight answer. He said that he had connections, and that someone owed him or something like that. I think he just flirted with Ms. Trinket and got his way. It's obvious she finds him attractive.

"So what are you doing with Mellark? I really can't believe you are doing this, but if that's what you want." There is a bit of an edge to his voice that I don't understand.

"I told you. He asked me to homecoming. I couldn't reject him like that after all he's done for me."

"Well, you could have. You like him, don't you?"

He is adding to my frustrations. I try to keep from raising my voice. "I don't know, okay? I know that I care about his feelings. He has been great to me, so I will do what I can to make him happy."

"Sounds like a yes to me."

"Whatever. Are you going to help me decide what I'm wearing? Thats why you're here, isn't it?"

He starts sifting through the clothing strewn about the room. He picks up a black tank top and a cardigan. "Here," he says, "Wear this and some jeans. It will look hot in a librarian kind of way. It will be a nice change from your normal clothes anyway. At least the boy will be able to see a bit of cleavage." I punch him hard in the arm.

"Hey, if you are going to date, you might as well do it right. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Gale. I am going out with him tomorrow. End of story."

Gale sighs, "Alright. Wear that. It will be fine."

"Thank you. Have fun tomorrow. Take a picture or something. I hope you have the night of your dreams," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

He flashes me a smile. "Oh, I will." He winks at me as he walks out my door. Gross. I hope Madge gives him a hard time.

* * *

It's going to happen. I'm sure of it. I am going to puke.

I have never been more anxious in my life. I try to remember what Prim said to me the other day. I wish she were here right now. She could distract me, or if she had it in her, give me some more advice.

I pull my hair out of my usual braid. I decide to put it back into a braid after a moment. I don't want to look like I gave this any thought; it would be too obvious.

I hear a knock on the front door, and I nearly jump out of my skin. He's here.

I race down the steps. When I get to the bottom, I begin to walk slowly and try to steady my breathing. When I place my hand on the door knob, I can feel my cheeks burning. I take in a deep breath and open the door.

Peeta. I try to keep my mouth closed as I take in the sight of him. He is wearing jeans and a green shirt with white pinstripes. His hair is slightly messy, but in a way that I assume is fashionable. He looks great. He smells even better. He smells clean, like the breeze in the spring, but I can still smell the cinnamon. If he were smiling any wider, his face would break.

"Hi," he says.

"Hey," I say but it's barely audible. I step aside to let him in the house. He walks in and takes a look around.

"You really do have a beautiful home. I don't think I ever told you that."

"Thank you." I'm standing behind him, shifting awkwardly as he looks around. Suddenly, he turns around to face me. He hands me a box from the bakery.

"I was gonna get you flowers or chocolates, but you didn't seem like that type of girl. I hope those are okay. I knew you liked those, at least." They are cheese buns. Of course, they are okay.

"Good call, Mellark," I say with a laugh. I go into the kitchen and place them on the counter. "Am I dressed okay for wherever we are going?"

"Perfect."

* * *

We make our way to the car. He plays the gentleman and opens my door for me, even thought it is completely unnecessary. He refuses to tell me where we're going as he pulls out of my driveway.

"If I guess, will you tell me if I'm right?"

"Yes, because the odds of you guessing are slim to none," he grins.

"Whatever. There's barely anything to do in this town. Dinner and a movie?"

"Ha! So wrong."

I can tell that we are headed for the outskirts of town where there is even more nothing. My curiosity grows.

"Are you taking me into the next county where there is no dancing ban?"

He laughs, "Wow, Katniss Everdeen has some jokes! That's good, but no. We aren't going that far."

We reach the outskirts of town where it's mostly empty fields by this time of year. He pulls into a long driveway that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. I start to get slightly creeped out that he is taking me to a place so isolated when I see a sign up ahead: Sae's Pumpkin Patch.

"Have you ever been here?"

"Uhh, no."

"What?! Now I know I made the right decision to bring you here."

We make it to a parking lot where there are a surprising number of cars which sets me more at ease. He parks and then turns to me. He says, "Okay, so do you like pumpkin?"

"I'm not really sure what you mean?"

"You know, like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, anything?"

"I'm not sure I've ever had any of those things."

"Wait, you're telling me that you've never had a pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving?"

I shake my head. I don't think it's appropriate to go into the whole mom thing. We probably had it when my dad was alive, but I was more focused on the other foods than I was dessert.

His mouth drops open, and his eyes go wide. "That is changing today! You don't know what you're missing!" He rushes out of the car to open my door. I roll my eyes, but I let him do it.

He offers his hand to me. I accept, and he pulls me out of my seat. I try to let go, but he keeps a firm grip on my hand and starts tugging me along toward the pumpkin patch.

"I can't believe this," I hear him mutter. I must admit that his frustration at the situation, whether feigned or honest, is really…adorable. I shake this thought from my head as he starts talking to me.

"Alright, here's the plan. You and I are both going to pick out a pumpkin, and then we are going to take them back to the bakery and use them to make something of your choice."

Oh. This isn't what I thought he would choose to do at all, but I'm far from disappointed. I nod and say, "Okay."

He continues to hold my hand and leads me toward a group of smaller pumpkins. I wouldn't say that I am used to the sensation that his touch seems to spark inside of me, but I am starting to enjoy it. "These are the pumpkins we can choose from. You can't use the big jack-o-lantern kind because they don't cook well; they are stringy and gross." He drops my hand and we go off in search of the perfect pumpkins. I don't really know what the criteria are for a good pumpkin, but I try my best to find one that looks healthy and plump. After about five minutes, I decide that one of them looks adequate. When I look up to find Peeta, I see that he is standing there, with a pumpkin in hand, smirking at me.

"I'm glad you are taking this seriously. That looks like a really good one."

I start to blush. How long was he watching me do this? We take a long walk to the stand where we pay for the pumpkins. Peeta also asks for a jar of apple butter, which is another thing I have never tried before. I hope that he lets me try some.

As we are walking toward the car he says, "I planned on taking you through the corn maze, but I think that this is much more pressing."

The corn maze? He is so strange. He seems like that hopeless romantic type that would try and make everything perfect by buying me flowers and taking me to an expensive restaurant. It's so different, so normal.

He asks me about Gale on our way to the bakery. I tell him that I don't know what Gale is doing, but I'm sure whatever he is doing is ridiculous. I tell him about the conversation that Gale and I had yesterday, where he would not stop talking about Madge and how annoying it was. I left out the obvious frustration Gale had with me going out with him.

* * *

Luckily, Peeta and I are alone in the bakery. I would hate to see his mother's reaction if she saw me beyond to counter or if she found out we were in here after hours, but it didn't seem to faze him. Peeta washed the pumpkins and put them in the oven to bake. Because of my indecisiveness, he suggested that we make pumpkin bread because his family's recipe is "the best in the world". I'm pretty sure every family says that about their recipes, but I believe him if the cheese buns he makes are any indication of the value of his family's recipes.

He has me mix up some of the ingredients while he prepares the baked pumpkin to go into the mix. "This is probably the easiest recipes on the planet," he assures me, but I lost track of what he was doing long ago. I've been trying my best to follow his instructions. Hopefully, with me helping, it actually turns out well.

Peeta treats me to a pizza at his favorite table as the bread bakes. He asks, "Remind me again how you've gone your entire life without having pumpkin anything."

I sigh and shake my head. "It's kind of a long story."

"We've got time," he looks at the time across the room, "About 20 minutes to be exact, but if it takes longer I'll still be willing to listen."

I look into his blue eyes. His beautiful, blue eyes. In them, I see honesty. I see integrity. I see warmth. There is no trace of pity, only a sincere desire to listen to what I have to say. What I see frightens me but comforts me simultaneously.

"Uhh…we can talk about something else. It's nothing." I look down at the table.

He places his hand on mine. I slowly bring my eyes up to meet his. "You can tell me, you know? I can tell this is painful for you, and I'm sorry I brought it up, but sometimes it feels good just to say it out loud."

I'm annoyed with myself, but for now I decide to tell him. I hate how soft I've been lately. I begin telling him about my mother and how she got after my dad died. She became cold and distant. I would try to tell her something, and she wouldn't even acknowledge that she heard me. It was like talking to a brick wall. She left Prim and I to our own devices. I had to make sure that we all got fed and that the house wasn't a wreck. She eventually got better and started working again, but she has never been the same.

"I remember one day, I came home from school and she asked me if I missed my father. When I responded, I guess I wasn't convincing enough for her. She scoffed at me and said, 'You don't even know what love is.'" I can feel my eyes threatening tears. The timer dings. Peeta looks to me and then to the timer. I nod telling him to go. I feel his hand part with mine. I had no idea he was still holding it.

I hear him clattering around in the back. He races back to me and returns his hand to where it was before.

"I can't believe I talked for that long."

"Me too," he says with I smile, "I don't think I've ever heard you say so much at once."

I laugh, probably too hard, but it's true.

"So that's why. We never really did holidays after my father died."

He nods, "Well, that's all about to change. Today." He pulls me up from my chair and leads me to the back room. I can tell the bread is still very hot, but he slices it with ease. He breaks the steaming piece of pumpkin bread in half and takes a bite of one. He inhales deeply and his eyes roll back. He swallows his bite and says, "You're going to love this."

He walks closer to me and raises the other half to my mouth. You would have to be blind if you didn't see the intimacy of the gesture. I hesitantly lean forward and take the piece of pumpkin bread into my mouth. I feel his finger tips on my lips for a moment and try to pretend I didn't notice.

The pumpkin bread is the best thing I have ever tasted. Ever. Okay, maybe not better than cheese buns, but they are definitely tied for first. It's spicy, yet sweet. I can't believe I have never tried something like this. "Mmmmmm, so good," I say. I make a motion for him to give me the other bite. He raises the bite to my mouth. I look into his eyes, and without hesitation, take the second bite into my mouth. I can see his cheeks are red, and I can feel that mine probably match.

As I swallow my second bite, I say, "You know, I didn't expect this at all."

He clears his throat. "What did you expect?"

"Some grand gesture. Some cliche, over the top scheme. To be fair, that's all I've ever seen. Look at who I'm friends with."

He smiles and nods. "Is that what you wanted?" he asks, taking a step even closer to me.

I shake my head, "No. This is great. It's so...simple." I have to look up to meet his eyes. He is so close to me I can almost feel him, like my body already knows what it would feel like to have him pressed against me.

His smile is still wide. I begin to tremble. "See? It doesn't have to be complicated to be good." Suddenly, his lips are on mine. After the initial shock, I begin to meet his kiss with equal fervor. I've never done this before, but it feels so natural. My hands run up his chest, over his shoulders and into his hair. He moans into my mouth as he deepens the kiss.

With our mouths still attached, my eyes widen in realization. I have to pull away forcefully to break the kiss. Both of us are panting. His cheeks are read and his hair is standing on end. He looks confused. I imagine because I look horrified.

What am I doing?

I back away. "I can't do this." I start toward the back door so that I can escape. I need to get away. _Now_. As I exit, I start to jog away, but it quickly turns into a run.

"Katniss!" I hear Peeta shout.

When I stop running, it takes me a moment to recognize where I am. I am probably three minutes from home. I am drenched with sweat, and I'm shaking. I sit down in the grass next to the side walk and try to catch my breath. I realize I am crying. I try to tell myself that this didn't happen.

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh, Katniss. Katniss, Katniss, Katniss. I'm sure you were like "FINALLY!" and then she crushed your dreams._

_Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was a long one (at least for me). I apologize for the Footloose joke, but I can't seem to avoid them. Is there anyone out there that finds Footloose as hilarious as I do? I don't really understand my fascination with it. _

_What will happen between Peeta and Katniss? What do you think Gale is doing at homecoming? Please review and let me know your thoughts!_

_As always, you guys are amazing! Thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing!_


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Hunger Games. The characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

When I get home, the house is silent. I consider finding Prim and telling her what happened, but she would probably be furious with me. I take a seat in the living room and stare out the front window. How could I have let that happen? I replay the moment over and over in my mind. The pumpkin bread, his fingers on my lips, and then his lips on mine. I felt like a different person. I felt like I was in another world, and then I was hit with reality.

Being with him can't always feel good. I know from experience that people leave. My father left. My mom (basically) left. Why open yourself up to people if they are going to leave you? It's great when they are around, but the closer you are to them, the harder it is when they leave. I'm not doing that again. Everything is temporary. People are going to hurt you.

What if you lose them? My mom lost my dad and she nearly lost her mind. I don't want to be so attached, so dependent on someone, that I can't survive without them.

I don't even know how Peeta and I got to this point. I've never been in an intimate relationship with someone before. I've never been kissed before. We were technically on a date, but I didn't think he would kiss me. Not only did he kiss me, but I kissed him back! I. Kissed. Him. Back. I enjoyed it. I would do it again in a heartbeat, too.

I…wanted it.

I feel bile rising in my throat. I have to see him again. I have to see his face every day for the next month. I'm doing a project with him, so I will have to see him even more. Does he hate me now? I deserve it. If someone had done to me what I had done to him, my self-esteem would be destroyed.

Damn it, Katniss, what have you done?

* * *

The next week of school was tense, to say the least. I intended to talk with him about what happened, but every time I tried I couldn't find the words. He continued to sit next to me, but he never spoke.

On Thursday, which would be our normal meeting day, he asked if I had finished the report. I nodded in response. He said he had finished his, too. I hoped that meant that we were talking again and that he decided to forget about it, but that was all he said to me. I almost wish that he would be angry with me, that he would yell and tell me that I am a terrible person, but he doesn't. He never would, and that bothers me even more. I deserve it.

I knew that I needed to say something before it was too late. The more time I let slip by, the farther he would drift from me. Even with this knowledge, I never got the courage to do it.

I miss him terribly. I miss his smile, his warmth, and the way he comforts me just by being around. I miss the way he looked at me.

Prim won't leave me alone about him, of course. I haven't really talked to her about our date because I know what she will say. She would be so angry with me, and I don't need that. I'm more angry with myself than she could possibly be. She asks about him daily, so I try my best to shut her out and focus on other things. I know she doesn't appreciate this because by the end of the week, she starts passive aggressively torturing me. I wish I could tell her how sorry I was, but she wouldn't understand.

Even though the weather is "freeze your ass off" status, I decide to go out hunting on Friday after school. I go to my place with my bow and arrow and just sit for a while. While deep in thought about my situation, I hear the sound of footsteps behind me. I start to panic and think that it might be Peeta, but I turn and meet Gale's eyes.

"Hey, Catnip." I breathe a sigh of relief. "I brought some hot chocolate."

He sits down on the ground next to me and begins pouring hot chocolate out of a thermos. I look off into the distance and stay silent as he works. I take the cup from him with a nod.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"With what?"

"Oh, please. You've been moping around all week. You didn't tell me a single thing about your date with Mellark. When I try and talk to you about anything, I can tell you aren't paying attention."

"I don't know what to tell you, Gale."

"Well, I guess you don't have to. Peeta told me the whole story."

I choke on my hot chocolate and start coughing. I manage to control my cough enough to speak. "He what?"

"That's right. I nearly beat the shit out of him, actually. I could tell you were upset, and I thought it was his fault. I confronted him, and he spilled."

It's getting hard for me to breathe. "What…what did he say?"

"He told me that you guys went out to Sae's, you baked stuff, and that you were having a great time. Then he decided to kiss you, and you flipped out on him."

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in. "That pretty much sums it up."

"Did you want him to kiss you?" I nod. "And you kissed him back?" I nod again. He looks at me confused, "Then what exactly is the problem?" I shrug.

"Nope," he says, "We aren't playing this game. I want to be on your side; I really do. It's hard when you give me nothing. He's not my favorite person in the world, but I feel bad for him right now. I could tell he was hurt. I would be too, say, if Madge did that to me. Katniss, that's kind of screwed up."

"I know, Gale," I snap. "I know that I fucked up! I know that I hurt him."

"Then why haven't you apologized?!" he asks, his voice rising.

I turn on him, "BECAUSE HE MAKES ME FEEL WEAK!" I'm surprised by the volume of my voice. I put my hand to my mouth and turn away from him. My words are also a surprise to me. I had no idea this was how I felt until this moment.

Gale's voice is calm when he finally speaks. "You're afraid aren't you? You're afraid that you might actually have feelings for him, and you don't know how to handle it." I feel a tear falling down my cheek, and I shudder. "Katniss, I get it, okay? Your goal has been keeping it all together for Prim and your mother, and I respect the hell out of that. But, do you really think that having feelings makes you weak?"

When I don't look at him or respond, he continues, "I think they do the exact opposite. Emotions are powerful, Katniss. They motivate people to create art, to care for one another, to start revolutions, to do great things. It's something that we all have in common with one another. They can be scary. I get that. Just know that I believe you have an opportunity here. You just have to be brave enough to take it. He obviously cares about you, maybe even more than you do about him, but who's to say something great won't come of your feelings for him?"

I sniff and choke back a sob. "And what happens when it's over?"

"I can't tell you what's going to happen between you two, if you ever manage to get out of the hole you dug yourself. I don't know. You don't know. So, what we do know is that you can't control the outcome. While this is also terrifying, it's something that we just have to accept. That sounds like a really bad answer, but let me ask you this. Would you really go your whole life not feeling anything, not caring for another person, because you can't control what will happen down the road? That's stupid. That's really stupid. If you do that, you will be just as miserable as you would be if you had cared for another person and lost them. It's just a fact of life. Things end and you move on. At least you learned. At least you felt something, something powerful, something real."

I had no idea Gale thought this way. I've never heard him say anything so seriously. He starts rubbing my back. "I'm not trying to tell you what you should do, but I think that you should at least apologize to him. If you don't want to be in a relationship with him, then respect him enough to let him know."

His hand falls from my back, and he begins to stand. "Do you want me to walk you home?" he asks. I shake my head. "Okay. Just make sure to give me back my thermos. And don't stay out here too long. We don't want you getting sick again," he says with a chuckle. He starts back to his house, crunching through the leaves.

"Gale," he turns back to me, "Thank you."

"Anytime, Catnip."

Part of me wants to retaliate, to scream at Gale and tell him he's stupid. I don't know if I can do what he asks. I don't know if I can ever think the way he does, but he has given me the courage to apologize. I have to make a plan and stick to it. If I don't I will continue to fuck up. If I'm going to turn this around, I have to admit something.

Step 1: Admit it. You have feelings for him. Say it _out loud_.

I look around to see if anyone has snuck up on me and find no one.

"I…" I take a breath, "I like…I _really _like…Peeta Mellark."

Step one, check.

* * *

_A/N: Oooooh, boy. What are you guys thinking? It got a little serious up in here. Gale wasn't being a dork for once. I considered making Katniss have a similar conversation with Prim instead of Gale, but I think it's harder to talk to your family about this type of stuff. Good decision? Bad decision? Do you like seeing a more serious side of Gale?_

_I'm sorry I left you guys hanging on that last chapter. It was cruel, I know. I would hate me too. I hope you all are still with me!_

_Thank you so much for reading! You guys are fantastic. Thank you for favoriting/following, and as always, keep the reviews coming!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: i do not own The Hunger Games. All of the characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

I walk into Mr. Abernathy's classroom before anyone else on Monday morning. Mr. Abernathy is drinking at his desk, like normal. I don't acknowledge him and walk to my desk. "Mornin', sweetheart."

When I don't respond he says, "Have you made up with him yet?"

I stop in my tracks and turn around to glare at him. "Oooh. I guess not. When were you planning on doing that?" I turn away from him and continue toward my desk, taking my seat when I arrive. I dig in my bag for something to look at so he will quit talking to me.

"Well, I hope it's soon. I'm sick of this 'will they, won't they' shit." He takes another swig from his flask. "You know he's had feelings for you for a long time." I look up from the textbook I pulled out. "News to you?" he asks. I nod at him, my interest piqued.

"Pretty soon after I first met him, he told me about it. I drank a little too much, and I asked him if he was into boys or girls. He told me that he liked this one girl, but he didn't think that she knew he existed. Obviously, he was talking about you." I am shocked by this. How could I not have known about Peeta Mellark, especially after what he did for Prim. "I don't know what he sees in you. I find that you are a strangely dislikable person." I roll my eyes and look back down at my book, flipping through the chapter we are covering today. After a few moments he says, "You could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve him, you know."

I think that the liquor is starting to talk for him, but I know he's right. That is just what I was afraid of. "I know," I reply.

He hiccups. "Figure it out, sweetheart." The warning bell rings and people start to trickle into class. Peeta takes his seat next to me; I offer him a feeble smile. The corners of his mouth move upward slightly but not into his full smile, the one that I miss so much. I start to speak, but I'm interrupted by Mr. Abernathy. He looks over to me while addressing the class and shakes his head. This pisses me off a bit, that he feels he can tell me when the right time is, but I am also grateful. He's probably right.

* * *

It seems like I will never get an opportunity. Nearly a month has passed since I spoke with Mr. Abernathy, and my interaction with Peeta has been minimal. Basketball season is starting, so there is a constant rabble of jocks surrounding him, not to mention a blonde girl. I find out from Gale that her name is Delly Cartwright. I see the way that she lightly touches his shoulder, and I hear her cackle after almost every sentence he speaks to her. This ignites something within me that I never expected, a feeling that I don't remember ever experiencing. It isn't until Gale brings it up that I realize what it is.

"It's alright, Katniss. They aren't going out. Not yet anyways."

"She's not his type. Her laugh is annoying and her hair is too," I struggle to find a word, "…too blonde."

Gale quirks his eyebrow and smiles. "Is that so? Jealous much?"

I glare at him, offended. "No. Absolutely not."

"Oh, I think you are. I never hear you insult someone out loud, except for me."

Damn it. "Well..." I'm flustered and can't think of what to say. I start to fidget and look away.

"It's alright. If he likes you as much as he think he does, he isn't interested."

I nod and we start walking to his car. "If it makes you feel any better, I agree. Her hair was looking much too blonde today."

I punch him in the arm and say, "Asshole."

* * *

I am shocked when Peeta approaches me on a Thursday afternoon just after school lets out, a week before our presentation. "Hey uhh…"

My heart skips a beat. I hold my breath.

"I was um…wondering if you could come by the bakery today to practice our presentation. I don't really like to go up there and wing it."

I blush. I haven't set foot in the bakery since our date. The memory of what happened there and the embarrassment over what has happened since then threatens to suffocate me. I nod. "Alright," I say breathlessly.

He gives me a small smile and says, "Good. See you then." As he walks away, I stare at his back. I can smell him, the scent that is distinctly Peeta.

The bus ride home with Prim takes forever. She has quit being so passive aggressive, but she still asks me about Peeta on a daily basis. I assure her that I have a plan to fix the situation.

After I drop her off at home and tell her that I will be home soon, I can't walk fast enough to the bakery. I try to keep calm, but I am almost running. I feel excited but also anxious. I hope that we can get back on some sort of friendly level and that he understands how incredibly sorry I am. I hope that he will want to start over.

I enter the bakery out of breath and cold. The wind blew strongly outside and chapped my cheeks and lips. I could really go for some of that dandelion tea. I look around; the bakery is empty like normal. I take a seat at Peeta's favorite table and wait for him to join me.

After ten excruciating minutes, he appears from behind the counter with a mug and a plate with a cheese bun. He places them in front of me. I stare at him incredulously. It's like nothing ever changed. "Hey," he says.

"Hey." We look into each other's eyes for a while. I can see the sadness in his, the longing. I wonder what he sees in mine. I hope he can read the look on my face, which I hope is apologetic. I am the first to speak.

"Peeta…"

"Katniss, you know that I am not going to take no for an answer. Just eat the bun. Drink your tea."

I nod and take a quick sip of tea, which I am pleased to discover is dandelion. He knows me too well. I oblige.

* * *

Our run through of the presentation went extremely well. He outshines me completely in his ability to speak. I love the way his voice sounds when he explains the information. It is authoritative and purposeful. I watch the way his mouth moves around the words coming from his mouth. He is truly a beautiful human.

"Great job, Katniss. I think that our presentation will be perfect."

I snap out of my reverie and try to recover with a smile. "You were great."

He smiles back at me, finally. I am so happy to see him smile at me like that again. "Thanks."

I pack up my stuff to leave. If I am going to apologize, it is now or never. He is walking toward the counter. I notice he has flour on the seat of his pants. It's adorable.

"Peeta." He turns to me. His eyes are sparkling. They take my breath away.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"I just needed to say that…" I inhale sharply.

"PEETA MELLARK!" a voice shouts.

We both jump. A look of disappointment settles on his face while I look at him in horror.

His mother rounds the counter wearing an oven mitt with a hot tray in hand. She tosses the tray at Peeta. Instead of trying to catch it, he shields his face. I look on as burnt cookies fly across the room and hit Peeta's arms. The tray lands on the floor with a clatter.

"WHY ARE THESE COOKIES BURNT?"

"I think the obvious answer is that I left them in the oven too long." His mother walks over and slaps him, full force, across his left cheek.

"Don't be a smart ass. How many times do I have to tell you that this wastes our money? Maybe if you didn't bring this little tramp here all of the time, you would remember to take things out of the oven on time."

"She's not a tramp, and it's not her fault."

I watch their exchange, uncertain of what I should do. Do I leave? Do I wait for them to finish? I need to finish my apology. I am unbelievably pissed at his mother. If I wasn't so scared I would never see Peeta again, I would hit her just as hard as she hit him.

His mother's eyes go wide. "What did you say to me?"

"I said that she is not a tramp, and it is not her fault," he says condescendingly.

His words infuriate his mother even further. Her face has turned a dark red. She stands on her toes to reach the top of his ear. She clasps on it tightly and yanks him down to her height. "I am sick of you and your smart mouth." She starts tugging him along. I can see his eyes are watering.

He motions for me to go. I quickly grab my belongings, but I hesitate. I can't just leave him here. As if on cue, I hear him shout from the back of the bakery.

"Katniss, I'll call you later. I promise!" I hear a loud crash.

I hustle out of the bakery and begin my walk home as quickly as I can without running. My breathing is fast and my heart feels like it is going to beat out of my chest. When I make it home, I ignore Prim and sit in the kitchen next to the telephone. My foot taps anxiously. Should I call the police? I don't know.

"What's going on?" Prim asks, obviously worried.

"I'm waiting on a phone call," I mumble.

The phone rings and I pick it up mid-ring. "Hello," I almost shout.

"Hello. Did you know that a house is broken into every…" I slam the phone back on the hook.

"Fucking telemarketers!"

"Katniss, calm down! Are you alright?"

"Peeta could be getting beaten to death right now, that's all. No big deal," I say, my words dripping with sarcasm.

"What?! What's happening?"

The phone rings again. I pick it up quicker than I did the first time. "Hello."

"Katniss?"

Relief washes over me. "Peeta," I sigh. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Trust me. My dad intervened pretty quickly. He heard her shouting, and came over to see what was going on. I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"No, no it's fine. I wish that I could have helped."

"I'm glad you didn't step in, actually. If she would have hurt you, I don't know what I would have done."

I blush. He is so sweet. I wish I knew how to respond to him when he said things like this to me.

"I am okay, though. I just wanted to call you so you wouldn't worry. Anyways, you were saying something before my mom interrupted. What was it?"

"Oh um…" I stall for a moment. I really didn't want to have this conversation over the phone. Prim is standing across the counter looking at me with worry, although now that I have calmed down a bit, she has relaxed. "I uh…" I can't. Not now. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything, and I really enjoyed working with you on this project," I finish lamely.

He is silent for a moment, and then he clears his throat. "I have really enjoyed working with you, too."

The silence between us is awkward. "I'll see you tomorrow, Katniss."

"Bye." I hang up the phone. I roll my eyes at myself and place my head on the counter. I start to bang it against the surface just hard enough for it to hurt.

Prim's hand is on my back, rubbing back and forth and up and down. "It's okay. You'll have another chance."

I'm so glad I don't have to explain what happened, although I probably will with time.

"He will understand."

* * *

_A/N: I AM SOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! I haven't updated in forever, I know. It is a piss poor way to thank you for following. I broke 100 followers! That's insane! Anyways, I have been so busy. I had a death in the family, I went to a music festival, AND I moved to a different state for graduate school in the time since I last updated. It has been a crazy couple of weeks. I will try my best never to let that happen __again. _

_So. Here we are. Katniss tried and then drama, drama, drama. Peeta's mom is a bitch, as always. I wanted to get them to make up much quicker, but I think you will find that it is worth the wait. At least they are talking to each other a bit more. It's better than nothing. What's going to happen next? Do you think you know?_

_ I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think! Please continue to review, fave, and follow. You guys are amazing! Oh, and who is excited for the Mockingjay trailer? Have any of you seen it? I was like, "OK. I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT FIFTY SHADES. GIVE ME SOME MOCKINGJAY TRAILER. DAMN." The teaser trailers were great, but they only did what they were made to do: tease me until I get so frustrated that there isn't a full trailer that I want to throw things. I will be waiting as patiently as possible for the trailer that is supposed to be coming out on Sunday online. Please forgive me for any freaking out that **will** occur in my next author's note. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. The characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

Peeta wasn't at school on Friday, which, ultimately, led to me panicking. Not only had I completely screwed up my apology, but he could be seriously injured and neglected to mention it on the phone last night. I can't wait for the school day to be over.

I have his phone number somewhere in my agenda. We'd exchanged phone numbers at some point during the course of working on the project. I thought that I'd never use it, and it was ridiculous that he suggest we share them with each other. Right now, I feel the exact opposite. I've never been happier that I did something that I didn't want to do. I plan on calling him when I get home. I need to hear his voice.

As I type in the number, my fingers start to shake. Is this inappropriate? Is he going to be mad that I'm doing this? What if his mom answers instead?

The line rings once- I need to hang up. Twice-I'm making a mistake. Three times- They aren't going to answer.

"Hello?"

Holy shit.

"….Hello?" The voice is male. He sounds almost like Peeta, but I'm not really sure.

"Uh, hi. May I speak to Peeta, please?"

"May I ask who's calling?"

I clear my throat. "Katniss. Katniss Everdeen."

"Oh, Ms. Everdeen. This is Peeta's father. I've heard so much about you! Sorry that we have never met. I'm pretty busy when I'm at the bakery. It's nothing against you."

I'm not really sure what to say. I wish that I could say that I had heard a lot about him too. "Uh, it's okay, Mr. Mellark."

"Well, it was nice to finally talk to you, dear. PEETA!" he shouts.

I hear rustling and someone's muffled talking.

"Hello?"

"Peeta," I take a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" He sounds alarmed.

"Yes. Just…you weren't at school today. I was afraid that you…that you…"

"I'm fine, Katniss, really. Do you want to come to the bakery?"

I want nothing more. "Yes."

"Can you bring Prim with you? I'll teach her how to make cupcakes."

I'm not comfortable with this at first, but today is not the day to have the conversation I want to have. I just need to see him. Not to mention, Prim will be beside herself. "Okay. We'll leave right now."

"Alright. See you soon!"

* * *

Prim chattered the _entire_ walk to the bakery. I love her, I really do. I just don't understand how we're related. She makes friends easily, when she gets excited it's visible, and she has the ability to charm the pants off of anyone within a mile's radius. I swear, I don't know how she does it. Maybe it's her age, but her talking wears on me a bit. It makes me tired, but I still listen and respond when appropriate. Honestly, I hope she never loses her enthusiasm, even though I have difficulty keeping up at times.

She asked me how her coming along ever came up. I told her it was Peeta's suggestion. This made her even more giddy.

When we finally arrived, Peeta was at the counter to greet us.

"Hey, Prim! How are you?"

"I'm great, but Peeta, what happened to your face?"

I see why he didn't come to school today. His cheek is swollen. The swelling has met his left eye and there is a nasty looking bruise under his eye and down his cheek. "Prim!" I say sternly. I really hope that he doesn't answer honestly.

"Well, I'm kind of clumsy sometimes. I slipped in the back, and my face hit the corner of the prep table." Prim's face was skeptical, but she accepted his response. It's as if she knew it wasn't her place to question it.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

I brought some materials with me to study while they worked. I hear Prim giggling. I look over as she helps Peeta mix up batter in a large bowl. It looks like she's chosen chocolate…surprise, surprise.

He speaks to her like he has known her for years. The conversation never becomes awkward between them. I envy them both. He is so patient with her, too. I haven't seen anyone, other than myself, give her this much in a long time. She is thriving under his supervision. Her smile is so wide that her face might hurt for weeks.

"Well, what do we have here?" I tense up at the question. I vaguely recognize the voice, but my experience with others interrupting at the bakery has always been unpleasant. I look up to see who must be Mr. Mellark. He looks like Peeta with a five o'clock shadow.

"Oh, hey dad. This is Prim, Katniss' sister. We were just making some cupcakes. I was going to teach her how to decorate them."

"Very nice! Nice to meet you Prim." He walks over to her and shakes her hand. He looks up and notices me at the front table. "Oh, you must be Katniss." He walks over to me. "Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Everdeen."

I shake his hand and smile, "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Mellark."

He smiles and turns back to Prim. "Prim, what do you say to learning how to make cookies while you're here? We can work on them while your cupcakes bake and cool."

"YES!" Prim starts jumping up and down, "Yes, please!" She is trying to gain composure and failing miserably.

"Come with me," Mr. Mellark says. He gives Peeta a knowing look and smiles at me as he leads Prim to the back room. "We'll be right back here." I look to Peeta, and he nods. "What kind of cookies would you like to make, Prim?"

"What _can_ we make?!"

"Anything you want."

"Oh my gosh…" Their conversation trails off. Peeta is smirking and looking at me. I smirk back, like we are sharing an inside joke.

"She's a sweet girl," he says.

"I know. Too sweet sometimes, believe me." He chuckles. I look to the floor, suddenly realizing that I am alone with him. I start, "I'm so glad you're okay." I look up and his smile drops. "I was scared that your mother was going to…going…" I breathe in sharply. I can't finish the sentence.

"My mother has never hit me like that before. She can be really harsh sometimes, but it has never come to that. When my dad came in and saw what she did yesterday, he was furious." He points to his face, "I stayed home today because of this. It will still look bad next week, but the swelling won't be so bad. I'm sorry that I worried you today."

I nod. "You didn't have to stand up for me."

"Yes, I did," he says, his voice rising. "It wasn't true, what she said."

Even thought I was a completely awful person and ran away from him after he kissed me, he still finds it necessary to defend me. "I don't deserve it, Peeta."

"I think you do." Now I know I don't deserve him.

I start to protest when Prim shouts from the back. "Katniss, come look at these!" Another moment lost.

The cupcakes that Prim and Peeta created together are amazing. I can tell the difference between them, but Prim's decorating improved as she went. Peeta hands me a cupcake, and said, "For you. Prim decorated this one." It as a bird holding and arrow in its feet. It reminds me of my father.

"It's beautiful."

"Thanks," she says. "I don't know what made me think of it, but I knew that you would like it."

Peeta packs up the cupcakes and hands the box to Prim. "Are you ready for our presentation next week?"

My stomach flips. No. I am never ready to talk in front of people. "I think so," I lie. I help Prim into her coat and slip into my own.

"It'll be okay, I promise," he says. I look at Prim, and she is looking between us, grinning.

"I'll see you Monday," he says.

"Bye."

"Thank you soooooo much, Peeta!"

"Any time, Prim. Any time." He winks at her. Prim and I wave goodbye and push out the bakery door.

A little ways down the road, Prim says, "You guys are so cute. You are meant for each other."

I smile. "Maybe."

* * *

_A/N: First of all, a big, big thank you to the beautifully named **everlarkcheesebuns** for being my beta. She makes me sound more like a person instead of some weird, steam powered robot. Thank you so much! _

_Second, I know that we all want Katniss to get it together and tell Peeta how she feels. She is going to, but I felt that this chapter was important. I think that if Katniss is going to fall in love with anyone that she has to see her sister with that person. From the last line you can see that she is starting to believe that her and Peeta are possible. I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but I feel the need to explain myself. No angry mobs or heart attacks. The next chapter will be full of fun. Stay tuned. _

_Okay, Mockingjay trailer. My thoughts: Not enough Katniss, too much Gale, AND NOT ENOUGH PEETA! I know that he was in those One Panem things or whatever they are called, but I just can't. I can't. I need to see his face. (I have a problem). Otherwise, it's going to be a great movie, I'm sure. Let's hope a longer trailer comes out soon. At this rate, though, we will be waiting until a week before the movie is out in theaters. _

_All of you are wonderful people. Thank you for reading/favoriting/reviewing! You all should know that I do read every review, and I would love to respond to every single one, but I don't want you guys to think that I am creepy. You guys bring me so much joy. I love the way you think. You are fantastic!_


	12. Chapter 12

My heart is threatening to leave my chest. I can hear my own pulse. I'm afraid that Peeta can hear it, too.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

I nod because, if I open my mouth, I might throw up.

"We practiced this. We are going to do it, and we are going to be awesome. If we go first, no one will remember how we did."

That's easy to say now. A series of "what if" statements course through my brain. The bell rings, marking the beginning of first period.

"Alrighty. First day of presentations," says Mr. Abernathy. "Who's goin' first?"

Everyone in the room is afraid to make eye contact with Mr. Abernathy, except for Peeta. He raises his hand with confidence.

"Alright, Mellark and Everdeen. Come on up."

Peeta stands up immediately and looks to me. I look up at him, horrified. "It's okay, come on," he mouths. I stand up on shaky legs. I walk down the center aisle of desks, avoiding eye contact with everyone until I am front and center with Peeta to my left.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Peeta. This is Katniss. We chose to do our report on psoriasis." He says this while setting up the PowerPoint presentation. "We have several pictures to show you and would like to warn you that some of these pictures can be unpleasant."

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes raised, red, scaly patches on the skin. These patches can appear anywhere on the body, but they commonly appear on the elbows, knees, and scalp. People report that psoriasis can be painful." Peeta continues on about symptoms and the level of severity and then says, "Let me show you the five different types. Plaque psoriasis is the most common." He clicks the keyboard to change the slide.

The class erupts in a chorus of groans. "Oh god…" I hear someone say.

"Guttate."

The class groans again, "Uuugggh."

"Inverse."

"Ooooh."

"Pustular."

"Ewwwwww!"

"And last but not least, Erythrodermic."

"UUUUGGH!"

I can't help but chuckle at this. "Erythrodermic is the most rare form of psoriasis, but it is life threatening. Okay, I've tortured you enough. Katniss?"

My breath catches in my throat. I remain silent, and, by doing so, ruin the momentum. With a dry mouth, I say, "Like P-Peeta said, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. That means that, basically, your immune system overcompensates and not only does it attack the bad things, but it, uh, attacks the good things, too. In the case of psoriasis, the white blood cells in the immune system attack the skin which causes it to overgrow." I continue to explain the genetics behind the disease. Peeta should have gone second. I think that I'm starting to lose them, and it is increasing my anxiety.

"Anyways…um," I start playing with my braid.

"Yo, can we hurry this up, please?" A blonde boy sitting in the middle of the room is tapping his foot and waving his hands around to indicate that he wants things to speed up. I look to Peeta, and he gives me an encouraging look.

"Shut it, boy," says Mr. Abernathy.

"This is just boring as hell."

Mr. Abernathy shoots him a warning glance. I look back to Peeta, and he looks pissed as well. When he looks back at me his eyes soften and try to encourage me further. I find the strength to continue,"People that have psoriasis can develop many other issues. They can develop psoriatic arthritis, which is very similar to rheumatoid arthritis. Since it's, um…an autoimmune disease, their immune systems don't work very well; they get sick very easily. Also, psoriasis is chronic, so they will have it for the rest of their lives."

The class stares at me with blank faces. There is a tension in the room. Mr. Abernathy interrupts the silence with a slow clap.

"Very nice. Any questions?"

I look over to Peeta, and he gives me a thumbs up and a small smile.

"Yeah, I've got a question."

"Yes, Cato," Peeta says with a tinge of annoyance.

"Where'd you get that shiner, Mellark?"

I look to Peeta nervously; he seems unfazed. Peeta smirks and says, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Did Everdeen give it to you? I heard she's like a total prude. She won't even give it up to Hawthorne. Go get her, Loverboy!" he shouts and then barks like a dog.

My face is red. My rage passes description. I don't know what I'm doing. I walk up to this "Cato" boy and punch him in the face so hard that I hurt myself. I start shaking my hand, as if I can cool it somehow.

I am breathing heavily. Cato is holding his face. "Fuck you!" he yells.

Blood is dripping on the floor. I look around the room. Mouths are agape, Peeta's eyes are wide, and Mr. Abernathy is laughing. I lower my hand and realize that some of the blood not the floor is my own. My knuckles are bleeding.

I look to Mr. Abernathy, "I…I'm sorry I.."

He gives me a thumbs up. "Nice job, sweetheart," Mr. Abernathy says through a snort.

* * *

I've never been in trouble at school before. Initially, I thought that I would be the only one in trouble, but Mr. Abernathy made sure that Cato also received punishment. We were both given four days of suspension, which I didn't mind. That meant an extended winter break. My mom, however, was going to see things differently.

When my mother came to pick me up, Mr. Abernathy came to speak with her. Somehow, he convinced my mother that I was actually the victim in the situation. All she said was, "I don't think that hitting people is a good solution, but I understand why you were angry. Even though you are suspended, you have to get up with your sister and put her on the bus. You will also pick her up at the bus stop at the end of the school day. Is that understood?"

I nodded. We never spoke about it again. I think I felt respect for her in that moment.

* * *

"Hey, Rocky, how's the hand?" Gale assumes a boxing stance and takes a few swings at the air. I smirk at him and show him the damage. A few of my knuckles are split and a bruise is forming between my ring finger any my pinky.

Naturally, the news that I had punched Cato in the face travelled around the school like wildfire. "Not that I think you needed an excuse to punch him, but what did he do?"

I told him about mine and Peeta's presentation, and that I was already stressed out and him adding to it made me snap. "I shouldn't have reacted so quickly. I was just…I didn't like the way he spoke to Peeta either."

"AHA! You felt he was threatening someone you care about. Oh, Everdeen, you're a hopeless romantic."

I sputtered trying to find a comeback and to tell him that he was wrong. All that came out was, "No!"

He laughed. "Have you told him yet?"

I shake my head. "We are, at least, talking now. I've tried a few times but other things have always gotten in the way."

Gale nods and then looks me directly in the eyes. "I have an idea, and you aren't going to like it, but you should trust me." I don't like where this is going, but I nod. "Finnick Odair is having his annual Christmas party on Friday night…"

I groan.

"…and I know, for a fact, that Mellark will be there."

"Gale, how would going to that party help at all? There are going to be hundreds of people there. I've heard about those parties; crazy shit always happens. I'm not going to be able to talk to him alone."

"Who says you have to stay?" He winks at me and gets up to leave. "I recall that someone didn't want to go to the bonfire either. Look how that turned out. If you want a ride, let me know." He exits the room.

It's amazing. I've spent my entire high school life avoiding social functions, and in the span of four months, Gale has convinced me to go to two. I'm turning into a social butterfly. I feel determined. Friday. Peeta Mellark will know how I feel about him.

* * *

_A/N: A huge thanks to **everlarkcheesebuns** for being my beta! If you guys want something new to read, she is working on a story of her own. It's called **Something's Gotta Give**. Go read it right now. _

_Major props to Katniss for punching some face. I know a lot of you are probably thinking that Ms. Everdeen was WAY to easy on Katniss and that your mom would have destroyed you, but hey. Things will be more fun this way. Also, I got the psoriasis info from psoriasis. org (Psoriasis really sucks, guys)._

_Thank you so much for reading/reviewing/favoriting! An update will be on it's way soon! _


	13. Chapter 13

The air is bitter cold. I can see my breath, even while sitting inside of Gale's truck. The sun is setting in a clear sky. I chew on my nails for something to do. Something that Gale failed to mention was that he was bringing someone, other than me, to Finnick Odair's party.

"So, Katniss, do you have a boyfriend?" Madge sits between Gale and me. Gale has been talking to her, but apparently she couldn't stand someone being left out of the conversation. I shake my head. "Don't worry. Your prince will come!" Her hand pats my shoulder. I jump and press myself as far into the car door as possible.

Madge looks at me, her eyes wide. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," she says. "You'll have to forgive me. All of my friends are really touchy-feely like that; it became a habit."

"No problem."

After a pause, she asks,"Are you interested in someone?" I look over to her. Her smile is gentle. I can tell that she isn't just being polite, and her interest is genuine. I nod and force out the best smile I can muster.

"It can be hard when you're a quiet person. Believe it or not, there are many days when I would prefer to be like you, but with my friends it's really difficult. Not that I don't love them! Anyways, sorry. Why do you think it took me so long to get with Gale? I was afraid, and, well, being overly cautious."

I'm not sure if she's lying just so she can establish rapport with me, but I look to her and say, "I'm going to try." Her smile widens. She grabs Gale's hand and sighs. Gale looks at me and shrugs. I think she feels like she made some progress with me or something. I decide to play along.

"Madge, tell me about homecoming. How was it?"

She turns to me in surprise. The rest of the car ride was full of stories about Gale and how much of a sap he is. It was something I never realized. She discloses a lot more than I would to a person that I just met, but regardless, I can tell she is better than the girls she hangs out with. She is smarter, and much more kind.

Gale isn't looking at us, but he is listening. He has a stupid "I told you so" grin. Yeah, maybe there are worse people at our school than this girl.

* * *

Finnick Odair lives on the outskirts of town in a very large house, with a very large yard, and an extra long driveway. The house is blocked from view by a mass of pine trees. If we had a broken down car, a thunderstorm, and a need to use the telephone, we could star in our own horror movie.

Gale pulls into what seems like the only available parking spot near the house. I knew that there would be a lot of people here, but I didn't imagine seeing this many. The house looked like it was overflowing. I could see people in the windows, people on the balcony, and people standing outside the front door.

On our way in, we pass a guy holding a cigarette who is talking to a group of people in a very serious tone. "I wasn't convinced of it at first, but at the end he said, 'You love me, real or not real?' and she said, 'Real.' She said, 'Real,' guys!" He takes a drag from his cigarette while the group chuckles at their, obviously, intoxicated friend.

I shake my head and enter the house with Gale and Madge. The house is humongous. A grand staircase sits in front of the door with a chandelier hanging from above. It feels humid inside, almost like being inside of a mouth. Rap music is being played loudly. People are dancing in random places around the the lobby. No one notices that people have arrived.

"MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS!" Finnick Odair slides down his stair railing and hops down in front of us. Very smooth. I wonder how long he has been waiting to show off his "mad railing skills", as he put it, when he began talking with Gale. "Help yourself to whatever." He notices me. "Katniss Everdeen?" I nod, trying to smile. "Well, I'll be damned." He shakes my hand. "You can help yourself to whatever you would like, too. It's nice to finally meet you. Gale has told me so much about you." I wonder what the hell that means, but decide not to let it distract me.

"Thanks."

"My house is your house. LET'S PARTY!"

A series of hollers erupt around the house signifying that the crowd is in agreement. Gale says to me, "Hey, Madge and I are going to get something to drink. Would you like to come with us?" I shake my head. Gale nods knowingly. "Good luck." I wave them goodbye and begin my search for Peeta.

At first, I'm not sure where to start. If I were Peeta, where would I be? It dawns on me almost immediately: the kitchen. I begin asking random people where I can find it, and after a lot of obscure hand motions and yelling, I eventually end up there. There are some people in front of the fridge looking for something to eat. I see him bent over the counter next to the stove, working on something. His hair is disheveled, and he looks like he is deep in concentration.

I hesitate, but I quickly decide to approach him. I do so quietly as not to break his concentration. He is slaving away over a tray of sugar cookies, carefully putting icing on each one. The majority of them are finished, and they are beautiful. I've come to expect nothing less.

"You're such a party boy, Peeta Mellark."

He looks up with a start and grins. "Katniss Everdeen, the anti-party girl. I never thought I would see you here."

I try to play it cool. "Gale said it would be good for me. What's a party without a person who doesn't want to be here, right?"

He snorts, "Yeah, I guess." He continues working diligently on his cookies, so we stand in silence for a few moments.

I take a deep breath and nearly choke. "Peeta," I almost shout. He looks up at me questioningly.

"Yeah?"

"Will you go on a walk with me?"

"Are you sure you want to? It's pretty cold outside."

"Come on, let's go." I motion toward the door.

"Alright, if you insist. It's starting to get really hot in here, anyways." He grabs his jacket, and we make our way to the front door. I'm surprised it was almost effortless to get him to agree. I make him lead the way because I don't think I can find my way back.

When we step outside, Peeta turns to me and asks, "Where to?"

"Let's just walk down the drive way some."

We walk in silence until we reach the tree line. Peeta looks up and says, "Wow. It's so clear out here. You can actually see the stars."

"I'm glad you noticed. I actually wanted to show them to you."

One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was go out to look at stars with my dad. I never thought that anyone would be interested, but I had a feeling that Peeta would be, so I decided to bring him out here to give him a mini astronomy lesson. I need him to see how beautiful they are so that he fully understands what I'm about to say. I show him a few constellations including Aries and Cetus. He listens to me, amazed that I am so knowledgeable in the subject. "Wow. Get you away from a group, and you have no problem speaking. How do you know all of this?"

"My dad taught me a long time ago."

He nods in understanding. He makes a motion towards me, I imagine to offer me comfort, but he quickly lowers his hands and shuffles awkwardly. My heart begins to ache. I don't want it to be like this between us. "What do you say we head back in? I'm starting to get kinda cold," he says.

I nod, and we begin to walk back. I stop in my tracks.

"Wait, Peeta, wait." He turns around to look at me.

"What is it?"

_Come on, Everdeen. Just say it. Why did you bring him out here to show him the stars if you weren't going to fucking say it? You practiced this!_ After chastising myself, I pull it together enough to say, "You…you are stellar, Peeta."

He looks at me, confused, "What?"

I'm a little taken aback by his expression. I feel like the words are forcing their way out of my throat, so I let them spill out. I don't care if he wants to hear them or not. "Every time I look at the stars I think of you. You aren't stellar in the same sense as the stars are stellar, but you are just as amazing, just as outstanding. I don't know how you do it, but when I'm around you I feel like everything is going to be okay. You have been the exception to every rule I have ever made when it comes to relationships with other people. I told you things I have never told another person in my life, not even Gale. I'm sorry that it has taken so long for me to come to you with this. I missed so many opportunities, and I fucked up many others. I don't think I can take being apart from you any longer. Ever since our date I've tried to deny what I feel because it's so terrifying. I'm terrified by my feelings for you. I…I need you, Peeta. I'm in love with you."

He stares at me in amazement. The silence between us is heavy and lasts for about 1,000 years. I'm breathing heavily. He says nothing in response, so I begin to ramble, "I understand if you don't feel the same way. Running away from you was beyond fucked up. I wouldn't want to be around me after that either. I'm sorry that I hurt you. You are so amazing, Peeta. Prim loves you and has given me hell ever since I told her what happened. I just…"

My words are cut short. Peeta closes the space between us and presses his soft, warm lips to mine. His hands find their way to my cheeks. I wrap my arms around his waist, and I kiss him back wholeheartedly. I part my lips and allow him to deepen the kiss. A moan escapes my lips, and I don't try to hold it back. I feel him step closer, so I press his hips to mine.

Time seems to be standing still. He removes his lips from mine. He tastes like sugar cookies. Does this mean I get to kiss him whenever I want now? I think I would be okay with that. We are both out of breath, and I realize that I've been crying. He has a tear on his cheek. I'm not sure if it's his or mine, but I raise my hand to his face and brush the tear away with my thumb. I can't believe I finally said it!

"I think my heart just stopped," he says.

"Really?" I ask.

"It's okay. It's working now."

I laugh through my tears, and then I give him a short kiss. I pull him into a hug.

"I am really sorry about before. I can't believe it took me this long. If I had known that you still felt the same way even after what I did to you..."

"It wouldn't have been any different." He pulls back just enough so he can look in my eyes. "You needed time, which I was more than willing to give. I didn't want to pressure you into something you didn't want. I would have waited forever, too."

I shudder as I feel more tears leave my eyes, "I love you, Peeta."

"I love you too, Katniss. It's always been you." I pull him into another kiss. I can definitely get used to this.

After a few moments we pull apart and walk back up the driveway hand in hand. I glance at him shyly. "Sorry, I tend to ramble when I'm nervous." I wipe my eyes to make myself look more presentable.

"It's okay. There was no way in hell I was going to interrupt you. Not after seeing what you did to Cato." I drop my head and look at the ground in embarrassment.

He laughs and pulls me to him so he can kiss my cheek. "You want to learn how to ice sugar cookies?"

I think back to the last time we baked together. The way he fed me that pumpkin bread was so innocent, but it was sensual at the same time. If I could live in that moment forever, I would. I raise an eyebrow at him. "Do you want me to 'learn' so you have an excuse to feed me again, Mellark?"

He looks smug, "Maybe."

When we reach the front steps, the drunk guy with the cigarette from earlier is sitting on them with his friends huddled around him. "She said, 'Real,' you guys. It's so beautiful!" he sobs.

* * *

_A/N: *throws confetti* FINALLY! *more confetti*_

_So this WAS going to be my final chapter, but you're really lucky, guys. My beta, everlarkcheesebuns, convinced me that I need another chapter. Is there anything that you want to know more about? Is there something that you wanted more details on that I forgot about? I have an ending in mind, but I want to make sure all of you are pleased. If I haven't written about something that needs resolved, please, please let me know. I had every intention of resolving it, but sometimes things and ideas slip through the cracks. _

_I hope that this is what you guys needed to happen between them, and I hope that it lived up to your expectations. I AM SO INCREDIBLY SORRY FOR THE DELAY! I had to finish moving myself for college. DON'T PUT ME IN THE ARENA! (Sorry, Esther.)_

_Remember, the next chapter will be the last. However, I plan on writing more. I have a particularly humorous one-shot planned (well, I think it's funny), so be on the look out. _

_You all are fantastic. Thank you for your ongoing support. Here's some more confetti, just for you *throws more confetti*_


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER (WHICH I'M PRETTY SURE I HAVE BEEN FORGETTING): I do not own the Hunger Games. The characters belong to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

Christmas Eve. I've never been one for laughter, cheer, Santa Clause, egg nog, or any of the other bullshit that goes with Christmas, at least not since my dad died. My family doesn't really have the television version of Christmas anymore, but there are some things that I can't bear to keep from Prim. We normally have a tree and a few presents just so Prim can feel special. If you take time to think about the rituals involved in Christmas, they all seem a little off. I try to explain my feelings on tree decorating to her as we put lights around the tree in our living room.

"All I'm saying is that it's a little strange that we cut down a perfectly good tree for no reason except putting presents underneath it."

"Oh, pull the stick out of your a-"

I cut her off with my glare. "Butt. It's fun, okay? Stop ruining it with your logic or whatever."

"Alright, sorry."

"Do you girls want some hot chocolate?" My mother comes in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. Luckily, she is looking at Prim. The smile on Prim's face grows. She says softly, "Yeah. We'd love that, thank you." My mother gives a small smile and heads back to the kitchen. When Prim looks back at me, she shrugs. I decide that if she accepts it as normal, I will too.

As we start hanging ornaments, Prim asks, "So, when are you seeing Peeta again?"

I roll my eyes. Ever since I told her what happened at Finnick Odair's party, she asks me about him every day.

"I was going to go see him in a little while, if that's okay with you."

She smirks, "Of course." She is quiet for a moment and asks, "So when are you going to…you know?"

"PRIM! That's none of your business!" I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it. Often. There's no way I'm discussing it with her, though.

"Oy. Good luck, Peeta. At the rate she's going, it's never gonna happen," she says to no one.

My jaw drops open. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she says. I huff and pick up a couch pillow to launch at her. I dread the day that we have to have "the talk".

* * *

As my mother, Prim and I settle on the couch with our hot chocolate, we hear a knock at the door. As far as I know, we weren't expecting any visitors. "I'll get it," I say.

When I open the door, I am greeted by a smiling, rosy cheeked Peeta. "Hey!" I say with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

His smile falls. He runs his free hand through his elegantly disheveled hair and looks at me with uncertainty. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude or anything. You're probably busy. I guess I should have called, huh?" He starts shifting his weight from foot to foot. "But, uh, I remember you telling me that you guys never had pumpkin pie over the holidays. I thought I would help to change that." He holds up the pie in his other hand and gives me an unsure smile. It's so strange to see him less confident, but I like it. It reminds me that he's human.

I start to laugh and say, "Yes, please! Come in." He steps through the door and bends down to kiss me on the cheek. I try not to seem shocked by the gesture. He's allowed to, and I want him to, it's just going to take getting used to. He still seems unsure and slightly uncomfortable.

I offer to take the pie. He places it in my hand, and before he can turn around, I pull him to me by his jacket's lapel. I give him a quick kiss on the lips, hoping that it will let him know that he is welcome. "I'm glad you're here," I say, just in case the kiss wasn't enough. "Are you going to stay and eat it with us?"

He looks a little dazed. "Yeah," he clears his throat, "Yeah, I'd like that." I take the pie into the kitchen as he removes his jacket.

"Prim! Mom! Come in here. Peeta brought us pie!"

Prim enters the kitchen first and is followed by my mother. Peeta walks into the kitchen, and is greeted with a hug from Prim. "Peeta!" she shouts.

He laughs, "Merry Christmas, Prim!"

"I'm so glad you're here," she says as she lets go. Peeta smiles and says, "Thank you for having me."

He notices my mother and doesn't hesitate to walk toward her. "Hi, Ms. Everdeen. Nice to see you again." He offers his hand.

She takes his hand in her own and says, "Yes, hello, Peeta. Are you the boy my daughter is making such a big deal about?" I blush and look down at the counter. I didn't know she was paying attention at all. I guess I have been pretty obvious, but damn.

He chuckles nervously and decides to joke with her, "Well, I hope so." She starts to laugh with him. It's such an unfamiliar sound that I quickly forget about my embarrassment and smile at them.

"Oh!" he says. "I'll be right back."

I hear him run out the front door and shut it. I bet he's running away and never coming back. That's what I would…Oh yeah, I already did that. I'm awful.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to have him over, Katniss. He's such a lovely boy."

"He is pretty great," I say with a smirk.

I hear the front door open, and I'm relieved. He walks into the kitchen and comes toward me. "Sorry," he says, "I brought stuff to make whipped cream and left it in the car. You can't eat pumpkin pie without whipped cream. May I borrow a big bowl?"

He smells like cold, and his cheeks are even more red than they were before. He is so attractive, it's distracting. "Sure," I say. I grab him a bowl, and he begins to work. "If you ladies want to have a seat, I'll bring you a piece when it's ready." He gestures to the kitchen table.

"I like this boy," I hear my mother whisper.

Prim is, surprisingly, silent, but I can tell she is far past giddy.

We all watch Peeta make the whipped cream. He must feel our eyes on him, but he seems unfazed. "Alright. That's done."

"The plates are in the-"

"Cabinet to the right of the sink. I remember," he says with a smile. I forgot he had been here before. I wonder if he memorizes every kitchen he works in. I watch as he cuts the pie and carefully places a dollop of whipped cream on each piece. He walks the four plates and forks over to the kitchen table with barely any effort.

"Here you are, ladies. I hope you enjoy." He takes the fourth seat next to me and smiles. I smile back at him.

"This is fantastic, Peeta." My mother doesn't dole out too many compliments. I make a mental note to make sure he knows that.

"Thank you, Ms. Everdeen."

"It's better than fantastic, mom. It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" exclaims Prim.

I cut a bite with my fork. I can feel the anticipation radiating off of Peeta. He wants me to enjoy this. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I take the bite, and my tongue is met with an explosion of pumpkin flavor and smooth whipped cream. It is so. Fucking. Good.

"So, what do you think?" he asks.

"Is this how you get all the girls, Mellark?

He winks at me, "It's the only way."

"I see. Well, are you single?"

He starts to laugh. My mother and Prim were, at first, confused by our flirtatious banter. Once they understood we were messing around, they began to laugh with us.

It's amazing how quickly things change. To think that four months ago I was dreading working with the boy sitting next to me in Anatomy & Physiology. Who would have thought he was going to completely change my world? It scares me to think about the possibility of it having never happened, even though the experience itself was equally terrifying. I know that we are going to have our problems. I also know that we will be able to figure them out. I love him, and that's all I need for now. I could spend a lot of my time worrying about whether I am doing the right thing or worrying about how this relationship could end, if it does. I could end up getting hurt, but I think Gale was right. There are much worse things to worry about in this world.

* * *

_A/N: Alright, guys. That's it! I would like to give a huge thanks to my beta **everlarkcheesebuns**. She has been great, although she did not edit this last chapter. She is on vacation, and I didn't want to bother her. I had to get this out before school starts on Monday, so I edited myself. Forgive me for any typos. Anyways, she does a great job and was able to tell me what I needed to hear. Hit her up sometime!_

_I hope that you enjoyed this as much as I did. I'm so glad that I decided to do this. I've had a great time with all of you, and I will miss you terribly. I hope to see all of you around the site, whether it be your writing or you reviewing mine. _

_If you ever have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk about THG, I am always here. Additionally, I am a beta, so if you need someone to edit for you, you know where to find me. _

_I wish you all the best!_

_Lacey_


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